Welcome to My Fraternal Romance
by Shigure-san
Summary: COMPLETE! Without Kagome, Inuyasha must abandon solitude in the face of the disconcerting attentions of a scheming Sesshomaru and an ancient demon who is hunting half-demons. 3rd place in Best Yaoi/Yuri IYFG 1st Quarter 2010! MPREG, Angst & ManxMan Love!
1. Shackles of Fear

(Welcome To) My Fraternal Romance  
By Shigure-san

Heyo People *Waves* For those of you that know me you'll know that this is a re-post but I've done some fine-tuning now and I will **Upload a new chapter once every 3 days** so please enjoy the new version if you've read it before or enjoy the story for the first time if not :) Please Leave a review if you have the time! Any little word would be appreciated ^_^

**Please Read: WARNING!** – Rated 'X' for Yaoi (shounen-ai/boyxboy relationships), graphic lemon and lime scenes, Inucest, Anal (obviously), Oral, Angst, Extremely Foul language (courtesy of Inuyasha), Violence, (maybe MPREG – if I get that far and if I have enough supporters of this fic ^_^).

**Oh, and if there are Japanese references made, check the end author's note for translations.**

Dedicated to  
The Lovely Serenity_Baby, who introduced me to anime – the wonderful Yuki-Kiba-Chan, who draws me smutty pictures and is always looking out for me –and the one and only Pretty-Crazed-Doll, who loves Sesshomaru. I love you all and hope you all enjoy this fan fiction.

Please Enjoy!  
(And don't forget to review – I live off reviews XD)

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**Chapter One  
Shackles of Fear**

The cool night air swept through loose silver hair as he sat, back relaxed against the bark of the tree, clawed toes pawing thoughtfully at the branch below him, gazing through the darkness, waiting, waiting for something he knew would never come. Hoping he supposed the word would be. _Hoping_, for something, _someone,_ he knew he'd never see again.

Two months. Two long, cold, miserable, eventless months since the Well was sealed, since he'd seen Kagome. Sometimes he'd see her climbing through the well, looking up at him in this very tree with those deep, dark eyes, so expressive and worldly. He supposed that's where he got that, from her. With pride, Inuyasha could say that his resolutely rough exterior shielded his secretly very vulnerable heart, feelings and emotions from others' view. A flaw to this talent of his, were his eyes. Look almost identical to his deceased father's and estranged brother's as they might on the surface, if you got the opportunity to look closer, you would see a wilful rage of emotions battling in them. No one would ever have the opportunity to look in his eyes again. Those eyes, Kagome, Kikyo, his mother, they'd each fancied them as some form of blessing, but to Inuyasha they were a curse. If ever anybody caught even a glimpse of emotion in his eyes, they were guaranteed to leave him, one way or another.

"Geez, Kagome," Inuyasha sighed, resting his head back against the tree, letting the coarse bark scratch his scalp softly. He supposed it was a good thing, she was home, where he knew she belonged, and she was safe from all the horrors of his world. _It'd be wrong to wish her back,_ he thought, _I'd just be being selfish, only wishing her back because I'm lonely…_

Moralise and justify everything though he did, it didn't stop him missing her, and obviously, it didn't stop him staring at the Bone Eater's Well. He'd barely moved since she left. Miroku and Sango were settled down together somewhere in the village, getting on with their own lives with Kohaku, Kaede, Shippo and Kilala, sure they'd offered him a place, they'd asked him to stay with them, but Inuyasha wouldn't do that. He wouldn't bring them down with his self-pity and mistrust; he wouldn't ruin their well deserved happiness. Naraku, their greatest foe was now nothing more than a bad memory, which left the humans (along with the cat-demon and the kitsune) to their happy ever after, and then with the little half-demon, alone once more. Above all the terrible things he'd faced in his two-hundred-years of life, _loneliness_ was the thing he feared most.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" the demon lord winced at the sound of the aggravating little toad demon's voice, grating at his senses. "H-Here Sire, there are more announcements of neighbouring demons' acceptance to the annual gathering for midsummer's eve!" Sesshomaru sighed, sifting his long slender fingers through silky strands of hair.  
"I often ponder the reason for continuing to host that bothersome festivity," he growled quietly to himself, releasing his hold on his hair in favour of signing the parchment in front of him.  
"My Lord, you know that this meeting is for-"  
"-I am well aware of what it is for, Jaken. And I do not wish to be reminded."  
"Y-Yes Milord," the dwarfed demon squeaked, scuttling out of his lord's sight.

_Inane demons and their bitches dallying about my father's house, parading their children and grandchildren about on the night before mating season's commencement, Sesshomaru mentally sneered. They come here year after year to try and pawn off their heirs to others in higher places. They come here for their own selfish reasons, __**one**__ of the main ones being the start of mating season, and the other, that they each hope to get one of their frivolous feet in my door, and try and force their way into some form of claim on my lands._ He scoffed at the notion that he'd allow himself to be tied to one of the selfish underdeveloped daughters of his _neighbours._ Jaken's creeping and Rin's childish games were one thing, but a young bitch's fawning and selfish affection might just drive him insane.

"My Lord?" Sesshomaru sighed, sitting up in his chair at the return of the irritating voice.  
"What is it now, Jaken?"  
"F-Forgive me Milord, but…the evening's patrol has returned and asked that I give word to you."

The Demon lord raised his head, almost hopefully. There'd not been an enemy, a fight nor scuffle since Naraku's demise; he could feel his slowly regenerated arm itching at the prospect of battle.  
"Yes? And what is this word?" he was getting impatient, a trait the demon could proudly say was not a typical one of him – of _Inuyasha's_ most definitely, but not him.  
"They say they'd heard word, and seen evidence of…" Jaken's voice stuttered to a pause, fearing his lord's wrath.  
"Well?" No response. "Don't test my patience Jaken, you will tell me this news or I'll rip it from your loathsome throat myself."

Jaken squeaked at the threat, stumbling back slightly. "Y-Yes Milord! F-Forgive my disobedience! T-They say to tell you that a band of demons have gathered in the northernmost corner of your lands, seeking out and tearing down…mixed breeds…" The last part came out an almost inaudible peep – but Sesshomaru heard it, and it made him turn in his chair to look upon his servant.  
"Jaken. Repeat yourself."  
"S-Some mixed breed despising demons have grouped together and are storming the villages, exterminating those with both human and demon blood in them." The silence fell stagnant as Jaken stood, awaiting his lord's dismissal, Sesshomaru falling prey to pensiveness.

He honestly couldn't say how he felt about the news. Sesshomaru had always pushed Inuyasha to one side, always lingered in the shadows during the boy's very miserable childhood, eagerly awaiting his downfall and yet merely witnessing his cruel trials, bound only to life by his fear of dying. _The weight of the bindings of fear are usually far stronger than any other,_ Sesshomaru thought, unconsciously getting to his feet, and moving to silently dress himself in his inherited armour, which he neglected to wear inside the castle walls. Jaken watched his lord, still deep in thought as he clothed himself with the spiked armour, awaiting his next command. _No, Inuyasha is to die by my hand and my hand alone, no upstart little group of low-level demons will take his last breath from me…_

"Jaken." The said demon jumped at the sudden sounding of his name, bulbous eyes watching Sesshomaru dutifully, awaiting his orders. "You will leave Takara in charge of everything while I'm gone, and you are to reserve yourself to Rin's servitude until further notice, am I understood?"

Jaken swallowed hard, nodding meekly, and despite himself, Sesshomaru felt a smirk twitch at his lips. He knew well the embarrassing girly games his young ward insisted on the toad demon playing with her, and while Jaken's humiliation was amusement enough to turn his lips into a smirk, it made Rin happy to have someone to play with, so it would be done. The lord couldn't ever recall a time or place when he'd wished for someone's happiness so strongly, nor could he ever imagine he'd do so in the future.

"I will return shortly, and Midsummer's eve is long enough away is it not?" To this Jaken nodded swiftly in his determinedness to oblige.  
"Yes Milord, err…four months or so I believe."  
"Indeed. Well you may handle the necessaries of the festivities; I will not bother myself with such a trifle." Turning swiftly through the doorway, Sesshomaru paused, realising the loophole he'd left Jaken in. "And Jaken?"  
"Y-Yes…Milord…?"  
"This new duty is in no way to take you away from your duty to Rin, she's priority. Do you comprehend me?"  
"Yes, Milord…" Another smirk tweaked at the corners of his mouth, at the sound of the defeat in the small demon's voice. He could practically see the glee on young Rin's face when she heard that Jaken had been ordered to do as she told him.

As the demon lord descended the stairs, he slowly felt the smirk drop from his face. Sesshomaru recalled the reason why he was heading out his own door, and the occasion didn't call for delight, or maybe it did, he wasn't sure, all he was sure of was that he didn't know exactly what he felt about this whole situation right now. "I wonder Half-breed, how you'll pull yourself out of this one..." he wondered to himself aloud.

The moon still shone brightly in the dark sky, peeking occasionally in and out of the heavy clouds overhead, each time rousing Inuyasha from his thoughtfulness. It bothered him that he hadn't left this branch for so long, not to eat, sleep drink or other things his living body demanded. This feeling, of time frozen over, just for him, it reminded him painfully of those long fifty years of life he'd lost, and yet he still hadn't moved, not since Kagome had disappeared through the Bone Eater's Well for the last time.

_"So you intend to stay out here alone forever? What will __**that**__ achieve?" _The Demon slayer's angry words still rang in his ears. She was right, of course she was, but Inuyasha didn't care, he'd weather the storms of this life alone, face his limitless lifetime _alone,_ that was the way it would be from now on, and that was that. The monk and the others had called it _'sulking'_ or _'brooding'._ "That isn't what this is," he mumbled aloud to himself. "This is called solitude, it's how demons are meant to work…" _But that's not exactly true now, is it?_ His mind reasoned with him, and he realised its truth.

Young demons lived under their parent/guardian's protection until they were old enough to strike out on their own, but in demon years, Inuyasha would be still considered nothing more than a teenager, as Kagome had called that age group once, and even then, (if he'd been full demon) Inuyasha would remain under his father's (or he supposed, in his case Sesshomaru's care until a suitable opportunity to pair-off arose. _As if I'd ever go back to that ass-hole, even if I was full demon, he'd never have the pleasure of gloating – of being my protector. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction._

Suddenly, the half-demon's silver puppy ears pricked, swivelling slightly to meet the sound that came from his left. _What's that?_  
_"It's coming from over here, Sir!"_ Inuyasha didn't move from his spot; still acknowledging the voice he'd never heard before, and the other voices that followed it, raised in apprehension and enthusiasm as they drew closer and closer. Taking a light sniff, Inuyasha rested his head back against the bark, the calloused pads of his fingers scraping lightly over Tetsusaiga's hilt unconsciously. They were demons. Without realising they'd done it, the group of demons had marched themselves to the clearing of the well, right below Inuyasha's feet.

"It's here somewhere Sir, I can sense it!" Inuyasha smirked. So they were looking for him were they? _They can look all they like, not sure they'll like what they find though…_  
"Scour the undergrowth, the entire forest do you hear me? It has to be here somewhere!" Inuyasha could have laughed at the cock-sure tone of the new voice. In the old days, the half-demon would've leapt down to ward the demons away from the village, but they weren't looking for the village, he knew that. _They're looking for me…_ He'd heard tell of a band of demons hunting down and slaughtering part-demons throughout feudal Japan. Alone, they wouldn't have posed a problem to Inuyasha, but together…

"Here! Here Sir!" Inuyasha watched them group together underneath him. "I can sense the dirt in his blood, Sir! He's close now!" Inuyasha would have sniggered, had he not been so busy trying not to be spotted. Long dark hair bound elegantly back in a loose tie, hung into the dangerous eyes of the demon whom everybody seemed to be addressing. _So he's the one in charge, huh? Guess I can see why…That aura…it's…it makes my blood run cold it's so powerful!_ Inuyasha's brow creased as he noted the quirk to the demon's lips, as they rose into an ominous smirk.

"Yes…" the quiet, cool voice whispered into the night air, practically a purr. "If we eliminate this one, _'The Great Inuyasha'_ that seems to have part-demons clinging to some form of futile hope, then the others will most _certainly_ fall into despair…" Leaning deftly onto his toes, ready to take off at a moment's notice, Inuyasha watched them closely, golden eyes widening in panic as he heard that chilly, purring tone once more. "And this one is young as well," he cooed, "very young, barely two-hundred by the smell of that innocent fear…" Inuyasha swallowed hard. This demon was reading him like a book, just by his smell! _Shit,_ he thought frantically, _I have to get out of here._

Inuyasha raked his claws silently into the tree's bark, scraping a handful of the rough matter in his hand. Swiftly he arched his arm, hurling the wood somewhere into the forest in front of him. Like a hair-triggered mechanism, the demons spun in response, darting off into the welcoming dark, searching for the source of the noise.

Hooking his legs around the branch, Inuyasha gripped it with them, swinging round until he was upside down, releasing his hold on the tree and dropping skilfully onto all fours. Looking almost cat-like, the half-demon's head tipped to either side rapidly, before he shot off in the opposite to the direction of the demons.

_What are they doing? What the hell do they want with me? Part-demons? What have they ever done to them? Oh yeah, that's right – they existed!_ Rage and fear were battling inside his body, both fighting to the surface. He couldn't recall the last time he'd ran so hard, so fast! That is, not since he was small, in any case… Sharp, brutal flashes of that torturous time assaulted his mind, where constant loneliness and terror roamed his fragile heart.

Suddenly, he ground to a halt, his breath leaping from his body at the sight of the demon standing before him in the dimness, his hair and clothing barely distinguishable from the cloak of darkness that hung beneath the forest's trees. "Quite well, little one, you look far better than I'd imagined…"

Inuyasha froze, his blood feeling as if it'd even stopped flowing through his veins. He'd not felt like this for decades. Fear. Pure, unadulterated fear; and it shook him to the core. The anonymous demon approached slowly, not walking, almost _floating_ towards him, like some spirit. "You are aware I presume, that not all part-demons are born as..." he paused, as if for dramatic effect, stopping right before him, barely a hairs-breadth away, so that if Inuyasha breathed in, their chests would touch. But Inuyasha didn't breathe. He couldn't move. He was paralysed, not aware why his disobedient limbs were so determined to ignore the signals from his mind to flee for his life. Something was wrong. Seriously wrong. "...striking as you," he finished at last, a note of foreboding in the seemingly complementary remark.

Inuyasha's insides screamed, twisting in to coils as that slender hand rose to touch his cheek in a barely-there gesture, tilting his head to look down on him with intoxicating fiery eyes, dark tresses forming a curtain around their faces as the claws on those fingers tilted his chin to force his stationary form to meet his. "When the blood in demons and humans mix, they create a powerful _wrong_ to the world, and that wrong, can go either way… Create something unbearably disgusting, a mutilated impersonation of a humanoid form… Or something just as powerfully beautiful…"

As those words spilled from those lips as easily as water, strangely warm breath tumbled from cool, parted lips, steaming over his face, and it felt like death. A disembodying fire gathered in Inuyasha's seemingly frozen blood, and it frightened him, perhaps almost as much as this nameless demon.

Ghostly fingers shifted Inuyasha's silver hair from his eyes, as that purring voice continued to whisper into his puppy ears. "I have killed more 'ill-favoured' part-demons than beautiful ones…and that, my little one, is down to the fact that there are very few, who are as blessed as you are… The further along the line the mixed blood goes, the more distorted and bizarre the children that come from it become…"

Inuyasha's ears leant back against his head, meeting the demon's eyes with shameful terror, and that smirk that lingered on those lips told Inuyasha that the demon knew it. A shiver quivered through Inuyasha's spine. "In other words, little one, if you were to mate, any children your mate brings forth will be not only distorted in their appearance, but their souls and minds as well…"

Tears pricked at Inuyasha's eyes, both of the childish fear, and of the thought of the things that this information meant _would_ have happened, if Kagome had stayed with him. "But, you are luckier than others, little one, do you know what I mean?"

Inuyasha would've shook his head in confusion, were he not transfixed with such terror. It didn't matter; the look he received told him this demon already knew his answer. "Of course not, such a young one left alone, without proper demonic care would not understand the fortune you hold within your seemingly cursed blood. I suppose, as you are, mortals and demons alike have always named you dirty-blooded, have they not?"

Inuyasha worried his suddenly trembling lip between his fangs.

"Yes, of course they have. But can you not see, with this unseen blessing, your blood, is not dirty at all, on the contrary, it is quite…desirable."

The Half-demon felt like his bones had turned to jelly, that they were to crumble beneath him at any minute – he was straining them to keep himself standing. Who was this guy? What was he _doing_ to him?

"To mate with a woman, would be unwise, as she would give you nothing but deformities for offspring, that most-likely would not survive to adolescence…But you, little one, are meant for men…"

Inuyasha growled, making those fiery eyes widen with surprise, quite shocked at seeing such aggression after such submissive terror.  
"Bullshit, I'm not meant for _guys!_ I can assure you I'm very much into females! Had the whole broken-hearted crap over two of them in fact!" Inuyasha snarled, shoving himself away from the Demon.  
"Please do not presume you can fool me," the Demon smirked again, still moving towards him. "I could tell your whole being and past by your smell, even your name. I have…a _gift_ for it, you might say, have been able to do so since birth – that was countless centuries ago."

Inuyasha smirked this time, but mostly to cover up his unease. "Pretty well preserved for an old coot ain't ya?"  
"And I can tell that your jest is merely to cover up your fear."

To this Inuyasha's eyes widened.

"Yes, little one, I can tell. So do not put on any more acts. I can tell that when you stood with me just then, terrified you were, yes, and rightly so, for that hand that touched your skin has ripped apart millions upon millions of your kind. And yet, even through the fear, I could see those scared eyes admiring me…"  
"_Admiring_ you? Screw you! I wasn't admiring shit!"  
"Indeed, and I could tell that that uninstructed _virgin_ body of yours was just slightly aroused as well."

Inuyasha's face flushed with anger. "I don't like men you decrepit old geezer! And I sure as hell weren't aroused by that ugly face of yours!"

Before Inuyasha could blink, the demon leapt towards him, seizing him by his throat.

"I have killed women, and children for making such accusations, I can tell very easily by your scent that you are pleased with what you see. And I know that I'm not 'ugly' as you say, so I suggest you stop lying, you may get blisters on that tongue."

Inuyasha would've scowled, were he currently not terrified again. It was true, this demon – _whoever_ he was, _wasn't_ ugly at all, but he sure as hell wasn't aroused by him! No way!

"And as for your stage of denial, your body was destined to be used by other men, _understand?_ Do you desire to know how I can tell?"

Inuyasha didn't move, didn't blink, save for his ears, which had once again crushed back against his skull. Those lips leaned forwards, demon breath trickling into his ears. "Your blood…"  
"You can't tell something stupid like that from my blood!" Exclaimed Inuyasha. "That I'm a half-demon, and a male, and how old I am, maybe even my name, but you can't tell my damn sexual preferences by it you prick!"

A clawed thumb came up to press gently into his lip, threatening to push harder and draw blood if he tried to speak again. "Foolish little boy…"

Inuyasha yelped loudly, feeling his legs swept out beneath him, so that he landed on his backside. "Ah! That hurt you – Get your hands offa me!" Inuyasha's currently weak legs kicked out desperately as a clawed hand pressed hard down on his chest, holding him in place, while the other pulled at the ties on his hakama. "You bastard!" He screamed out, a desperation he loathed with a passion in his own voice. "Don't touch it!" Blood rushed to his cheeks in furious embarrassment, and Inuyasha felt his lower half exposed to the cool night air as his hakama bunched at his knees.

"You were the one who needed proof, well here it is, _Inuyasha_."

Inuyasha winced at the touch.

"Open your eyes, Inuyasha." The dangerous voice ordered, and Inuyasha complied, only to avoid being killed or seriously injured. "This is how I know."

Inuyasha slammed his eyes shut again. "No! Stop it! Don't look at that!" The Demon smirked at Inuyasha's humiliated reaction to the blood on his fingers, the half-demon's scent reeking of shame.  
"Has no one ever told you, why you bleed, Inuyasha?" the creature asked. Inuyasha bit his lower lip, trying to force the tears out of his voice.  
"I don't know! It's happened since I stopped being a kid! I didn't have anyone to ask about it! I thought it was normal! I can't help it!"  
"I never said you could, but do you not know the consequences to it happening?"  
"I don't care! Just stop it!" Inuyasha shuddered.  
"You're acting like a scared little child."  
"Like hell I am! Stop touching me in weird places you pervert! Why are you telling me anyway? Who the hell are you?"

A menacing smiled played across those lips once more. "Ah, how rude of me…My name is Hikireimaru…"  
"Right, well now that's straight," Inuyasha spat sarcastically, "get your hands away from me!"  
"Is this the part where you tell me you'd rather die than allow me to rape you? Or maybe…you are just too afraid to die…"

Inuyasha couldn't help the quivering fear in his eyes at those words, despite how brave his body felt. At this time, he always dreaded conflict, death more than he would normally. Just instincts, he had guessed, since he felt weaker at times like these.

"How pitiful, the _Great Inuyasha,_ afraid of death, how ironic…after you have come so close to it so many times." Hikireimaru leaned forwards, the Half-demon's _menstrual_ blood still staining his fingers, his lips barely a hairsbreadth from Inuyasha's nervously twitching ear.

"How interesting, this means you'll be all too happy to accept what I offer, providing it doesn't bring death, am I right?"  
"Get the hell off me!"  
"If I was going to oblige you in that request, do you not think I would have done so by now? You should just give up saying it, save your voice for…more worth while causes…"  
"I won't be _accepting_ sod all from you! If you think I'm just gonna lie back and let you do what the hell you want, you got another thing coming!"

Hikireimaru hissed at the stinging pain as Inuyasha wrenched a hand free, swiping across the demon's face with his claws, four thin gashes lying across his cheek. Turning quickly round, Inuyasha crawled out from under him, scrambling through the dirt. A surprised cry tore from his throat as he felt something slam hard down onto his back, trapping him against the hard, cruel ground.  
"You say that little one, but then you arrange that gifted body of yours in such a way," he purred, though much louder than it had been before, as he dragged Inuyasha's hakama down leisurely, exposing his backside.  
"GET OFF ME! DON'T TOUCH ME YOU PRISSY PRICK!" The Demon looked quite amused, and to Inuyasha, that was bad. That meant that he knew Inuyasha had no way of escaping, not alive anyway…

"What a fine predicament I find you in, Little Brother."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, currently drowning under his own silvery hair, he couldn't see the voice's owner, but he didn't need to in order to know who it was.  
"Se-Sesshomaru?" That's all he needed, _Lord high-and-mighty_ seeing his downfall and humiliation. _Heck, why not damn well resurrect Naraku and let him have a good giggle over it!_ He thought bitterly, all the while feeling that treacherous terror rise up in him again.  
"Indeed," the Demon lord inclined his head, gazing expressionlessly at the demon currently crouched on all fours over his half-brother. "And you, you are Hikireimaru, I presume?"

Said Demon's lips (already creased with a smirk) broadened into a grin. "That's correct, Lord Sesshomaru. Is there something I can help you with?" Hikireimaru asked courteously, not moving from his position.  
"I heard your assemblage was in this territory, and stumbling across this scene…well, I want to ensure Inuyasha is not disgracing his blood any further."  
"YOU ASSHOLE SESSHOMARU! GET THIS BASTARD OFF ME!" The Demon lord arched his eyebrow slightly.  
"And why would I do such a thing for _you,_ Little Brother?"  
"BECAUSE IF THIS GUY FUCKING RAPES ME THEY'LL BE LESS OF MY EGO TO SQUASH IF YOU EVER MANAGE TO KILL ME!"

If Sesshomaru laughed – which he didn't – he would've done so at Inuyasha's words just then.  
"True I suppose," he replied carelessly, "Hikireimaru, I am afraid this is one half-demon you and your company will have to ignore, Inuyasha was my Lord father's mistake, and as his son and heir, that makes it my responsibility to rectify that error."

"Ah, well, you see," Hikireimaru said softly, "I did not intend on killing him…gifted half-demons are far more valuable than others…Or perhaps, you were unaware of Inuyasha's condition, Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru remained impassive.

"I will step aside graciously, My Lord." The Demon regarded Sesshomaru closely, patting Inuyasha's exposed bottom condescendingly as he got to his feet. "But I cannot promise that if left alone, I will not try again."

Inuyasha practically leapt to his feet, yanking his hakama up and tying it swiftly, trying to retain at least some of his shattered dignity.

"I'll be seeing _you_ again, little one," Hikireimaru cooed, lustful eyes gazing over Inuyasha. The Half-demon sneered, watching the dark haired demon turn; the darkness swallowed his form as he disappeared into the trees.

Without so much as a second glance at Sesshomaru, Inuyasha shot off in the opposite direction. _What the hell was that? Why do I bleed? It's always happened, how am I supposed to know what it means?_ Just something he'd have to ask Myoga next time he decided to swing by. The last time he saw the flea it was a month ago, and he'd only stopped by briefly to tell Inuyasha of the demons gathering and slaughtering part-demons wherever they went. Naturally, realising Inuyasha was bound to be a target, the flea demon departed immediately, like the coward he was. _Why'd Father leave me such a crappy 'guardian'? Feh! Guardian my ass!_ But his thoughts on the subject stopped, on realising what reasons his father might've had. Because Inuyasha knew the reason, the late Demon Lord more than likely had hoped that Sesshomaru would have owned up to his obligation to both himself and Inuyasha, and took Inuyasha in, along with Izayoi, after he was dead. But of evidently his expectations of his heir's sense of honour was far too high.

His fear had quite disintegrated beneath the raging confusion in his mind; in any case, he had something to take care of. The Half-demon stopped, wincing at the look of the cold water of the stream. Still, he hurriedly stripped off his kimono, wading swiftly into the predictably freezing water. Shuddering as the water touched his naked flesh, Inuyasha stopped as it reached his waist, letting it wash the blood away from his body. He always had to wash more at this time. There wasn't that much blood at any one time, but it was noticeable, and thankfully the durable white fundoshi under his baggy red hakama took it, preventing it from showing through.

The Half-demon's face enflamed with crimson embarrassment as he recalled Hikireimaru blatantly looking at the blood; he hated it. He was disgusted with himself enough that it happened, but for someone else to see it as well…it made him feel dirty. Whilst travelling with the others, he'd secretly noticed that Miroku hadn't suffered from such things, and so he'd thought that perhaps it was something only half-demons got, but that didn't help him feel any better about it.

"Geez, I'm so screwed up," he growled under his breath, snatching up his stained white fundoshi and scrubbing away the blood easily. His clothing may not be the most elegant of things, but they were durable, in every possible way – they even cleaned and fixed themselves, and Inuyasha wouldn't trade them for _any_ amount of fine clothing that Sesshomaru wore, attractive though they looked…

"Indeed, Little brother, you always seem to manage to mess something up, do you not?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened and his head shot up. "What the hell are you doing? Y-You peeping pervert! Get lost!"  
"Don't be ridiculous, we're both male you imbecile. I simply wish to discuss with you what Hikireimaru was implying earlier, so I – what are you looking at me like that for?"  
"I ain't talking to you while I'm naked!"

Sesshomaru would've rolled his eyes, if it were within his character, which it wasn't. "As much as it pains me to admit it, we are brothers, both male, and have the same _distinguishing features_ however much they may…_differ_…"

Inuyasha scowled. "Turn away you bastard."  
"And if I were to do so, would you answer my inquiries truthfully?" Sesshomaru asked, sounding rather bored – as usual.  
"Whatever! Just look away already! Its cold in here you idiot! If I'm in here much longer our _features_ will definitely _differ_ – 'cause mine will shrink back up into me!"

Sesshomaru sneered at Inuyasha's crude comment, turning away, simply to get him to stop talking.

Hearing Inuyasha stumbling into his clothes, he turned slowly, catching the Half-demon tying the sash around his waist, securing his hakama up, his chest still bare. "Now will you focus your abnormally small attention span to my questions?"  
"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, whatever, just get asking and get gone, _Jackass_," Inuyasha grumbled, and Sesshomaru refrained from rolling his eyes yet again.  
"What was Hikireimaru referring to when he called you, 'gifted'?" At that question, Inuyasha flushed darker, reminded of that painful humiliation.

"I…I don't know myself…I just…" Inuyasha bit his lip nervously, trying to find words, "I…Look. I hate you." To this, Sesshomaru looked amused  
"Really, I would never have guessed. But believe when I say, the feeling is mutual, _Little Brother_."  
"Yeah…but…you want to know something, I want to know something…If I ask you a question, and you answer it, I will tell you what you want to know."  
"I do not think that was part of the arrangement," Sesshomaru said expressionlessly, "I think the deal was that I do not watch you putting your clothes on, you do as you are told."

Inuyasha scowled again, it was times like this he was reminded why he hated his half-brother so passionately. Only, the two of them had never spoken so long without trying to rip each other apart before.  
"Listen, fuck-wipe, that's all you're getting; take it or leave it."

A silence fell over the two of them, and Inuyasha took that as Sesshomaru's consent. Only now, he was faced with divulging his secrets to his half-brother, an activity he _wasn't_ keen on doing…

"Is it…I…" Inuyasha growled impatiently, his tongue tied, struggling to form words while his gut screamed not to do it. "Ever since I reached the demon equivalent of adolescence, I've…I've had short phases where I…I…_bleed_…" he whispered the last word, so quietly Sesshomaru almost didn't catch it.  
"Bleed? What do you mean, _bleed_?"  
"I…from…" Again, the half-demon growled in impatient anger. "BLOOD COMES FROM MY DAMN ASS, ALRIGHT!"

Sesshomaru looked almost shocked at the outburst, but more so intrigued with what Inuyasha had actually said – well, screamed. Inuyasha lowered his head, his hair hanging into his eyes, hiding the mortification visible within them. "And I know it's not normal for humans so I…I was wondering if you knew if other half-demons experienced it…I don't even know why it happens…" The full demon watched his brother, regarding him for what was probably the longest time without trying to kill him.

"No, it is very rare, I have only ever heard of a handful of half-demons that have experienced such things…_However_, human and demon _females_ experience something very similar."

Inuyasha's eyes shot up, bulging as he looked at his brother in horror. "Wha-What the hell does that mean? Are you saying that-"  
"-Your _bleeding_ is very similar to the female menstrual cycle, and you experience it because-"  
"-Don't say it!"  
"Because your body, it appears, to avoid the atrocious children born of further mixed breeding with human or demon women, has adapted in the way that you _yourself_ can carry young – for other men."  
"Shut up! I'm not gonna be a wife to some lecherous, butt-stuffing _guy_! That's _disgusting_!"

"Your mother's kind have engrained their foolish human views on life in you. You are part demon as well, Inuyasha, and in demon society, relationships between two males is not taboo."  
"I don't care! I love Kagome, you here me? A WOMAN!"  
"Despite your base-line feelings, Inuyasha, your instinct and inner demon are pre-destined to be with a males, which is probably why all your relationships with females have ended in disaster…"  
"Screw you, asshole!" Inuyasha growled, leaping forwards and swiping for Sesshomaru with his claws. The Half-demon yelped as Sesshomaru seized his arm, locking both his wrists in his hands, his face barely inches from his brother's enraged one.

"Look at it this way then, you can _finally_ stop running scared."  
"What're you-"  
"-Let us face it, we both know the only thing tying you to life are the shackles of your fear of death. Being a male demon's _bitch_ will ensure your protection, will it not?" Sesshomaru growled sarcastically, becoming enraged with his brother's _human_ view on the world. "Do not so easily cast aside the traditions you should understand!"  
"Well whose fault is that? YOURS! Father asked you to take me in and teach me what it was to be a demon, but you DIDN'T! SO HOWEVER I TURN OUT IT'S YOUR FAULT! AND ALL BECAUSE OUR FATHER LOVED MY MOTHER MORE THAN YOU!"  
"Silence!"

Inuyasha choked on his breath as Sesshomaru's clawed hands seized Inuyasha's throat, cutting off his air supply.

"HOW can ANYONE expect somebody in my position at that young age to act like a responsible adult? I was not at fault - Father was for leaving me to clear up his mess!" But as these words registered in Inuyasha's mind, his vision faded, mind going blank, as he passed into unconsciousness.

TBC

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

A/N: YIKES! 18 Microsoft word pages? I'm not sure what happened there ^_^ I got carried away... So, Chapter one, what did you think? I LOVE this pairing, and though I'm DEFINATELY no beginner when it comes to yaoi fics this is my first attempt at this pairing because I've read so many ones which were honestly too good to rival with my poor efforts *sighs* But I've finally plucked up courage to try ^.^ Can people please review so I know how many are interested in me posting further chapters.

Translations :-  
**Haori** – The red top half of Inuyasha's outfit  
**Kosode** – White undershirt beneath Inuyasha's kimono, as far as I've been told, since I know some people just call it an "under haori", but I'll go with this one.  
**Hakama** – basically the trouser part of Inuyasha's fire-rat kimono  
**Fundoshi** – In Inuyasha's case, white, goes underneath his hakama  
**Inuyasha** – essentially means Dog Demon.  
**Sesshomaru** – has a lot of meanings, the one I tend to go with though is "the killing perfection" there are seruously LOADS though lol well it IS a fairly long name ^_^ And I'm not fond of calling him 'sesshy' in fics, *shudders* I only do it in authors notes when i cant be bothered to type his full name lol.  
**Takara** – I believe it means Treasure/Treasured. This guy'll be in this fic alot so get used to seeing him ^_^  
**Hikireimaru** – I made it up, not sure what I've decided it means, but it has 'Kirei' in it, which is Japanese for 'pretty', and one of my lovely reviewers called **midnightscream** said that the -maru at the end is kinda almost like a honorific, but not. It means he was very beloved/cherished by the father/family. So lets just say it means pretty, K? - Oh, and ask if you want to borrow this name, K?

Thanks for reading, please review!

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	2. Sealed Within Lies

**Chapter Two  
Sealed Within Lies**

An aching pain that plagued his throat was what Inuyasha awoke to. The Half-demon's eyelashes fluttered open, golden orbs flickering, trying to gain focus on the room. Everything was blurry. Suddenly, a sharp, sting throbbed in his veins, as if the very blood inside him were smouldering fire. "G-Gods! It hurts!" he growled out, clawed fingers clinging at the unhelpful material beneath him. And it was at the feel of the material, that he paused, suddenly taking in a deep sniff. He knew where he was, and it sent a chill down his spine.

"Yes, I imagine it would hurt…quite a lot…"

Inuyasha bolted up in response to the voice, but no sooner than he did; than he felt his legs give way, his limbs bearing the stability of jelly, and he fell back onto the bed. He couldn't see, but he knew he'd somehow wound up in Sesshomaru's castle - Their _Father's_ castle. It reeked of Sesshomaru. The feel of the rich silks against his fingers and still bare torso - this was a room in the castle in which he _should_ have been brought up in, and from what he could smell of it, it was one of the family rooms as well. _Oh gods…not Sesshomaru's room…!_

"When I seized you, you lost conciousness due to lack of air, but I undeniably permitted my temper to…get the better of me…I injected some of my poison into you."

Inuyasha winced, now he knew why it hurt so much, his body strained itself as he tried to prop himself up on his elbows, and a cry of pain tore from his bruised throat as he collapsed back against the condescendingly plush cushions. "Indeed, I would try to move as less as possible, the poison is still very potent in your blood, it is not enough to kill you, but you will not be able to move for quite some time yet." At this Inuyasha winced again, the fresh pain still brewing in his blood.

"You bastard…you damn…used your poison on me…you…haven't you done enough?"

Sesshomaru raised a brow at the question. "Oh? You earlier you gave the impression that the problem all these years was that I had not done any- Lie still boy! If you move the poison will go to your organs…that would cause a rather _painful_ problem to you. It would not kill you, but you would wish for it to…" The Demon watched his younger brother, writhing in agony on the bed with thoughtful eyes. "Next painful thing to child birth, so they say…"  
"Who says you prick? The thousands of people you've used your damn poison on? You're nothing better than a murderer!"

Sesshomaru rose to his feet fluidly, sweeping over to the bedside, barely refraining from leaning down and giving the discourteous half-demon a more lethal dose of poison.

"You might as well have killed my mother! And you left me and father to die as well! If you hadn't been such a selfish prick that night and gone with him, he'd have lived! And if my mother was here where she ought to have been afterwards, she wouldn't have got ill and died like other humans!"

Sesshomaru snarled nastily at the accusation, shaking with anger in his place beside the bed, poison hissing at the tips of his claws.  
"She was a human, all the better she died a human's death," Sesshomaru sneered.

A momentarily blind Inuyasha bolted upright beside Sesshomaru, swiping wildly at him, missing by miles.  
"You bastard! My mother was worth ten of you! She was a lady and you know it! She deserved better than to die after months of suffering like that - like some diseased animal!"

Sesshomaru's eyes widened as Inuyasha's weak legs lost their balance, and he fell forwards, his claws raking into Sesshomaru's clothing and flesh.

"I hate you!"  
"Indeed," Sesshomaru muttered, unhooking his brother's claws from his shoulders with an unnoticeable flinch, pressing Inuyasha's currently defenceless body back to the silk sheets. "Do you know what room this is, _Inuyasha_?" the Demon asked impassively as the corners of Inuyasha's mouth tugged into a silent snarl. "This was the room prepared by Father…for you."  
"Don't s-screw my head up anymore you-"  
"-It is the truth. While _that woman_ was carrying you, Father allowed her to live in her own home, but when you were born, he intended for you, and her, to come here… Neither of you got that far…"  
"And whose fault is-"  
"-So this is _your_ room. I have not showered you with any gifts or hospitality. Do not think I would ever show you anything but _contempt - Half-breed_!"  
"Why'd you bring me here? You could've just left me in the forest!"  
"If I had, Hikireimaru would have taken you-"  
"-And why do you care?"  
"Because Half-demon or not you still have noble _demon_ blood in you - _My_ father's noble blood that cannot be watered down, not even by your _whoring_ mother's weak matter that pollutes your veins! I will not have you taint mine and Father's name any further by becoming that Hikireimaru's bitch." With those words he leapt forwards. Inuyasha winced as Sesshomaru pinned his thrashing hands tight against the bed, keeping the half-demon from making another assault on him.

Suddenly that feeling - that cold, mind-numbing fear that made his skin pale and body shake. He hated this feeling. This trapped, _terrified_ feeling that made him want to scream. Why was it only just happening now? Two-hundred plus years and he'd only just started experiencing this painful fear? _What the hell is happening to me?_  
"RAPED BY YOU - RAPED BY HIKIREIMARU - WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?"

Sesshomaru pulled back slightly, as if questioning the appearance of the half-demon he was still restraining.  
"Raped? Whoever said I was going to rape you? Foolish half-breed…why waste my time with something as tedious and untidy as rape when there are plenty of willing partners I could take?"

Inuyasha growled, body arcing up as he tried to shove Sesshomaru off him, only receiving a backhand across his face, making his face contort slightly in pain. "Do not flatter yourself _Little brother,_ what makes you think I would want to lower myself as to take my pleasures with _your_ dirty body…?"  
"Hi-Hikireimaru said I'm not…" the Half-demon managed out between the waves of pain. "F-Fuck, Sesshomaru give me an antidote or _something!_ This poison's killing me!" To Inuyasha's choked gasp, the Demon Lord smirked.  
"Indeed, I left the poison in your body so that you would be easier to handle, I cannot have you pulling some ludicrous trick and running freely around my castle, now can I?"  
"THEN LET ME GO! YOU'RE NOT GONNA RAPE ME, YOU DON'T WANT ME HERE SO GET THE HELL OFF ME!"

Sesshomaru raised his hand again to strike, and Inuyasha flinched before he even brought it down on him. Thanks to the poison he felt just that little bit more sensitive to _everything,_ and that blow that he once might not even have blinked at before, now had tears pricking at the backs of his eyes.  
"You will silence yourself, Inuyasha." The Demon's golden eyes watched his own, the Half-demon so determined to disobey, an almost cruel smile played at Sesshomaru's lips as Inuyasha looked away to the side, his mouth closed.

"Yes, this look is much more becoming on you, Little brother. You do not look half as repulsive and irritating when that mouth of yours is shut."

Inuyasha ground his teeth together, fighting not to retaliate, or even cry out to show how much the poison was beginning to get to him, even as Sesshomaru's clawed hand reached down slowly towards his throat, brushing aside the silver hair that carelessly lay across it. The strangely hot breath that blew over his now exposed flesh made him flinch, a shiver running down his spine, reminding him of the agony he was in. The smirk at the older brother's lips only widened as Inuyasha's scent spiked in telltale terror - he was afraid, clearly on the verge of panic. He was afraid of the poison he could feel, of the death that was promised if he moved, but by the way his ears flattened down against his skull, it seemed he was more afraid of Sesshomaru's wandering clawed hand, and fangs that seemed to be nearing his throat.

"Now then, Inuyasha…" the Demon muttered, his fingers toying with the tresses over his little brother's shoulder, as if checking its quality. "Hikireimaru…he said, what?" Sesshomaru watched almost in satisfaction as Inuyasha's Adam's-apple quivered slightly, before he spoke.  
"He said that I-"  
"-That because of this _ability_ of yours, you weren't as worthless as we all thought?" Sesshomaru cut across him. "Indeed, I suppose you do have worth, Little brother. As a matter of fact you prove quite…_valuable_…" Inuyasha's eyes widened.  
_"Valuable?_ What the hell is that - ah!"

Sesshomaru, liking the quiet Inuyasha far too much currently, pressed his hand hard against the boy's throat, forcing him back into silence again.  
"Meaning purebred females of _our_ kind are selfish and grovelling; dishonourable in my opinion - and their guardians, so keen to have some form of claim over my lands that they take every chance they can to try and press their females on me," he answered, removing his hand from Inuyasha's throat, the Half-demon not missing the stress on the words _'our kind'._ "I have no time for fawning females that have no mind of their own, nor for a mate that's only concern is my lands - which unfortunately, are traits in nearly every female of our species. I am not foolish enough to wait to mate for love, but I would like my mate to care more for me than for the lands and title."

Inuyasha mentally snorted. _Figures, he doesn't care if he loves her, but he wants her to love him? Selfish bastard…_

Inuyasha's claws clenched into his palm, the poison was really burning now, he half-wished he hadn't woke up at all; sweat began to gather on his forehead. "Perhaps you want the antidote, Little brother?" that voice taunted. Inuyasha turned his head, finding himself face to face with his brother, their noses almost touching.  
"Perhaps you want a smack upside your head?" he spat back, yelping as Sesshomaru seized a fistful of his hair, yanking his head back to expose his throat.  
"You should curb that temper of yours, though I can tell it is just _your_ way of dealing with how terrified you are," he leaned down, his open mouth allowing his potentially fatal fangs to trace the now quivering flesh of the Half-demon's throat.

Inuyasha's eyes clamped shut tight as he felt the tips of the fangs against one of the most vulnerable parts of his body, waiting for the pain to come, feeling the humiliation of not being able to react to Sesshomaru's jibes almost totally overthrow him.  
"Beg for it…" he growled. Inuyasha felt his heart miss a beat. "Beg to be released from this agony…" Sesshomaru watched the veins in Inuyasha's neck pulse with the poison that threatened to overthrow his blood. Yes, a little humiliation is just what the Half-demon needed to rid him of that loud mouth of his. He would enjoy this. "It looks like it hurts…just ask me to give you the antidote, Little brother."

"I ain't begging for _nothing!_ I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of it! Asshole!"

Sesshomaru's smirk faded slightly, poison hissing at his claws, and his fangs grazing against Inuyasha's throat, rousing a deep, pining whine from his little brother, and it shocked him. He pulled back; just to make sure he wasn't imagining things. He wasn't. Apparently during this 'cycle', Inuyasha found pain a strong stimulus for doing as he was told.

_Strange, he never gives in so easily…what's happened to him?_ Sesshomaru pondered, leaning back down, his mouth clamping over the puncture wounds around Inuyasha's neck from earlier, where the poison was beginning to boil as it sank deeper and deeper into his bloodstream.  
"Is the whining your request, Little brother?"

Inuyasha swallowed hard. His chest clenching as he felt the poison race through his bloodstream. He had a choice, he could give Sesshomaru what he wanted, or he could die…

"You asshole," he growled out, his teeth gnawing on his lower lip in agony at being reduced to pleading. "Make it stop…"  
Almost sighing in satisfaction, Sesshomaru pressed his lips around the effervescent wound, bathing it with his tongue. He felt Inuyasha flinch at first, his claws digging into the silk bed-linen beneath him.  
"Lie still, Inuyasha, or you'll have my fangs in you," the Demon lord warned him, swiping his tongue over the five long gashes just under the boy's chin, his saliva seeping into the wounds.  
"Wha-What're you doing to me…? It feels weird…" Inuyasha questioned hazily, a flush dusting his cheeks. The Demon lord pulled back to answer, when his eyes widened slightly in surprise, as he felt his little brother's scent spike again - in another direction. _Interesting…very interesting indeed…_

"Indeed, it must feel strange to have you reacting like this."

Inuyasha's dark brows descended in a frown of confusion, his bare skin heating rapidly, his chest heaving rapidly with confused, heady pants.  
"What's happening?" Inuyasha breathed. Sesshomaru smirked. He couldn't have asked for a more perfect question.  
"It seems you are very easily stimulated. Do you find me that arousing, Inuyasha?"  
Inuyasha's eyes flew open, his temper flaring.  
"Why don't you just go eat crap? I ain't aroused by anything you bastard-" His ears perked at the sudden growl rumbling deep in the back of Sesshomaru's throat, slicking back almost submissively into his hair in response. He might not be full-demon, but he understood what that growl implied. Those normally complacent eyes were alight with a lustful fire; he could feel them roaming the exposed contours of his chest, and it made him recoil into the sheets.

"The poison is gone," Sesshomaru whispered at last, watching in fascination as Inuyasha's pink tongue darted out to wet his suddenly dry lips nervously. "But you will still feel weaker than usual for a little longer." Still, as he spoke, Inuyasha wouldn't meet his eyes. Was he truly that scared - that embarrassed? Or maybe, thanks to his upbringing around humans, he was just disgusted. _Well, we'll have to change that…a Half-demon fated to bear young for __**demons**__ will not have his life wasted with __**humans**__…_

"I suppose as your brother it's my duty to _re-educate_ you as a demon as opposed to a human lapdog."

Inuyasha's hazy eyes knotted in a frown, he _hoped_ he hadn't understood what those words implied, but by the way those claws tilted his chin up, fangs grazing against the arch of his chin, he realised, he had understood perfectly. His heart thumped in his chest as Sesshomaru's lips descended towards his own trembling ones. The Half-demon twisted his head to avoid the kiss, panting hard. He didn't want this - this was his _brother_ for crying out loud, sure in his naïve youth he'd wanted to be accepted by him, but if this is what _demons_ called acceptance he'd rather remain an outcast. It was disgusting.

"We can't…S-Stop it!" His suddenly desperate, unusually high voice screamed out. Sesshomaru cocked a brow. "We're…you're a guy and…we're brothers…we had the same father…this is _wrong_…" Even though the statement disgusted Sesshomaru - the fact that his half-brother was so ignorant to his demon culture almost made him cringe, though, he supposed that was mostly no one's fault but his own…

"You may be half human but you are half demon as well, Inuyasha. And demon cultures have no qualms with male relationships or much less incest…you should stop running and face that fact - stop fleeing from things like a scared little child," he punctuated his words by capturing his little brother's face, keeping it in place, fiery eyes locking with the suddenly fearful ones.  
"Who says I'm afraid? It's just the thought of you - or _any guy_ - touching me makes me wanna-" His voice was cut off as Sesshomaru tugged gently with a finger on the flesh of his jaw, parting his lips before smashing his own against them in an ardent kiss.

A horrified expression met his face, eyes widening in disbelief, whilst magenta lidded eyes closed against the world, the full-demon's slightly pointed tongue probing gently at his brother's front teeth. Just as Inuyasha was considering _biting_ the offending thing, the older male nudged his lips gently, encouraging his protesting mouth to respond. Finding his arms released from Sesshomaru's hold, Inuyasha's clawed hands seizing his brother's biceps in an attempt to shove him away - his still very weak arms failing miserably.

A clawed thumb brushed against the corner of his mouth, as if to keep it open, as that wandering tongue stole into his mouth, smoothing over his own latent muscle. A growl of negation at his resolve being gradually beaten down was drowned out by the low rumbling noise at the back of Sesshomaru's throat. The Half-demon's ears slicking back submissively in response, lashes flickering shut slowly as his determination was crushed under the full-demon's persuasive tongue.

Suddenly the Demon lord broke their lips' contact, long fingers still framing his brother's face, golden eyes steadily staining a lustful demonic crimson as he gazed upon Inuyasha's blush dusted face. Half-demon flushed lips parted, panting hard, disturbing the silvery tendrils of hair across his forehead.

"Indeed, _sick,_ Inuyasha, was that what you were going to say? My touch makes you sick?"

Inuyasha (gasping for breath) allowed his eyes to flutter open, watching his brother's face descend upon him.

"Perhaps…perhaps my touch, my voice, perhaps _everything_ makes you sick with ecstasy. Because I may be a _'Selfish bastard'_ in your eyes, but nevertheless…" he paused, inclining his head, feigning an attempt to kiss his brother, this action a mere distraction as the full-demon leant up, his hot breath steaming into a flickering furry ear. "This little body finds something to its liking - does it not?"

A sharp jolt of foreign pleasure shot down his spine as Sesshomaru captured the rebellious ear in his mouth.  
"Ah…" Inuyasha half whimpered, half moaned, his head unconsciously tilting against Sesshomaru's neck, pressing his face into the older male's throat as his other ear was captured between Sesshomaru's clawed fingers, the downy ear flickering with the surprisingly gentle circular motions of the digits. "I - I-"  
"-Like it, do you not, Little brother?" At his words, Inuyasha shuddered, weak hands gripping the Demon's shoulders, not sure whether to push him away or not. "But I thought being with a male - much less your own _brother_ made you sick?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "S-Stop! W-Why're you doing this to me?"

Sesshomaru inwardly smirked at that. "Because I can…Because I want this little body…Because I want you…"

Inuyasha's eyes opened, his once unsure hands thumping hard against the Demon lord's chest in an attempt to get him off, his throat retching as he screamed at the top of his lungs.  
"You liar! You don't want me! Nobody wants me! Nobody wants a Half-demon!"

Sesshomaru inwardly flinched at the echoing of his own words. But wasn't it true? Who would want a rude, overconfident, uncouth, un-groomed _half_-demon? Nobody, until Inuyasha's _abilities_ came to light…_they_ outshone Inuyasha's bad qualities, making him valuable, even _desirable…_

"Is it so hard to accept that you have value?" Sesshomaru growled out quietly, inclining his head to graze his fangs over Inuyasha's collarbone, feeling the heady pants from his brother disturb the silvery hair atop his head, as his mouth appreciated the flushed chest. "Even without your _'blessing',_ it appears the gods in all their mercy have gifted this little body in other ways…" He smirked up at the Half-demon, watching his expression carefully as he worried a nipple between his potentially deadly fangs, enjoying the fearful look of horror vanish as the boy's head tilted back, pressing into the plush pillows in response to the unfamiliar sensation, mouth moving wordlessly. "Indeed, gifts worthy of my appreciation…"

Inuyasha's eyes clamped shut, squinting hard, defiantly _not_ looking as a wet tongue slicked around the pink-hued nub. Flicking at the suddenly hardened peak a final time, Sesshomaru pulled back to admire the now full-body flush, clawed fingers running absently down Inuyasha's side. A strangled cry ripped from the Half-demon's throat, his arcing up from the silk covered mattress. Leaning down to lay swift licks over the suddenly sweaty chest, Sesshomaru pressed his fangs gently against the flesh, grazing them down the boy's torso, hearing the flustered half-demon's breath hitch.

His suddenly hungry mouth appreciated the flat stomach, the Dull-demon noting the way those stomach muscles tightened with the passes of his tongue and scraping of his fangs. They were noticeable, but not necessarily as defined, as they should be - if his body weren't _'adjusted'_ as the Half-demon's body was anyway. Inuyasha's head thrashed wildly in want abandon, a confused groan erupting from him as the Demon lord traced the contours of his torso, pausing to let the point of his tongue tease the shape of his navel, before brushing his mouth to the flesh just above his pubic bone, making the half-demon's body curve upwards in response.

Disorientated by the hazy foreign feeling ploughing through his body, Inuyasha didn't realise that the previous arc of his hips had been taken advantage of, his brother's fingers seizing the knot in the sash holding up his hakama, tugging it swiftly, bringing the fabric to bunch around his knees. Feeling his lower regions freed from their confines and into the air, Inuyasha stopped suddenly. Staring down and meeting his older brother's hungry eyes trained on his, his semi-erect member dangerously close to that mouth…and those fangs!

"It seems you are enjoying this, are you not, Little Brother?" Sesshomaru breathed, hot breath steaming over his member, the organ hardening a little more, causing Inuyasha to cry out, claws tearing into the sheets below him.  
"Stop it…this is sick…I don't…like it…!" Ignoring Inuyasha's words, the full-demon breathed in the half-demon's scent mentally flinching at the underlying, terrified fear that mingled with the arousal - coming off his brother in waves. He could practically hear Inuyasha's heart thudding in his chest, and that pleading, anguish weighing heavy in his voice.

"Calm yourself…Inuyasha…it would not be prudent to kill nor harm you…not now I have a use for you…"

Inuyasha's anger spiked at that, momentarily surpassing the mind-numbing fear. Yes, that was the Inuyasha that Sesshomaru knew, the fiery, brash half-demon he'd spent two-hundred-years trying to kill…

"You bastard! _'Have a use for me'?_ You - DON'T LOOK THERE!" His eyes clamped shut, blocking out the sight of Sesshomaru mimicking Hikireimaru's movements, Inuyasha's blood staining his fingers as he examined it, as if he'd not truly believed it until he saw it with his own eyes. "IT'S DISGUSTING STOP IT!"

Sesshomaru smirked, the action sending a shiver up Inuyasha's spine, and the Full-demon got to his feet. Inuyasha edged back up the bed, yanking on the ruined silks to cover himself over. He was in for it now. It'd been bad enough he'd ripped them to shreds, but now the once crisp white fabric bore crimson blood stains - from him. _He's gonna kill me…_

At the sudden spike in his brother's angst again, Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow. What had him so flustered? Perhaps I overdid it tonight…no matter.  
"Rest, Inuyasha."

The Half-demon's head shot up, as Sesshomaru moved towards the door.  
"Y-You're - you're not…angry?" At those words, the Demon paused, offering him a strange look. "You're not-"  
"-Just sleep, the more you rest the quicker you'll recover from the poison," he muttered carelessly. Opening the door into the halls, Sesshomaru stepped over the threshold, lingering in the doorway only to look back as he sensed Inuyasha's unasked question. "My room is down the hall," he stated, "I will bid you goodnight, _Little brother_."

Even as the door closed quietly behind him, his light footsteps echoing, slowly dying away in the hall beyond the now shut door, Inuyasha still felt the strange sensation of something _other_ than malice behind that endearment. But he found himself disliking this new emotion even less…

_What the hell is wrong with me? He nearly…I nearly let him… What does he want from me?_ Resting his head back into the pillows, Inuyasha sighed softly. All that time _sitting_ (not sleeping or even moving) on that tree had taken its toll, besides which, he couldn't remember the last time he'd slept in a bed like this…or a bed at all! No crappy, lumpy futon, or forest floor, or even harsh tree-bark - an actual bed, with silk bed-linen and feather blankets. He slowly felt any care for exactly what Sesshomaru had in store slip away as weariness tugged at his senses… He was so tired. He hadn't felt this tired - ever. He never _got_ tired! But his heavy eyelids that were slowly descending over golden eyes apparently disagreed, as his weariness overcame him, carrying him off into sleep.

Suddenly he bolted upright, fingers clinging tightly to the sheets. His ears pricked for any sound. What had woke him up so suddenly? He was used to leaping into awakening at the slightest noise or movement - but he'd just been fast asleep. What the hell happened? Just then his ears slicked back against his skull, shutting out the piercing scream that filled the air. Darting to his feet, the Half-demon leapt towards the door, flinging it open. The scream tore through the air again. Shooting a glance down each side of the dim hall, he couldn't see anything. Where was that screaming coming from? And who was it? What the hell was going on?

Then he heard something else, a dull, quiet murmur, which immediately silenced the screams. Taking a light sniff of the air, Inuyasha stole down in the direction of his brother's scent. This was his castle; surely he'd know what the hell was happening? The scent was getting stronger; it was hard since Sesshomaru's scent was everywhere, but his immediate scent was…_right here,_ he finished mentally, pausing at the door that had been left ajar, a warm light from the room shining into the hall he stood in. Gnawing his lower lip slightly, the half-demon stole a glance into the room, immediately frozen by what he saw - and heard…

"Rin, your dreams…they were, troubling you?"

Rin nodded honestly, blinking her hazel eyes, red with tears.  
"It was…the wolves…Lord Sesshomaru."  
"You still see them?" In answer she nodded again.  
"Yes… I am sorry Lord Sesshomaru, for being so easily disturbed by my dreams…I know they're not real…I do but I-"  
"-Silence Rin."

The girl stopped immediately.

"It is not dishonourable to be afraid, you are human, therefore such an emotion would be unavoidable. Do not be ashamed of such things. The only thing dishonourable that you could do is deny your fear, an inevitable side-effect to your humanity. Denying what you are, who you are…that is the ultimate sin…"

Inuyasha's insides jumped at those words. They may not have been spoken to him but…at the same time, he felt like Sesshomaru was somehow relating it to him, even if he didn't know he was there. He watched as Rin slowly walked forwards, eyes looking up to meet Sesshomaru's, silently asking permission, before clasping the crisp white fabric of his sleeping kimono in her small hand, seeking some form of comfort. The demon lord watched her, that trademark stoic expression across his face. Inuyasha winced, waiting for his brother to swipe that hand clean off her wrist, only to watch his clawed hand rise slowly, placing gently atop her head.  
"Lord Sesshomaru, may I stay here tonight?" She asked. The Demon lord said nothing, merely gesturing slightly with his hand, the girl climbing onto the bed as the Demon lord got to his feet.

The Half-demon felt his insides boil as he watched the sight. Anger, jealously, bitterness burning at the back of his throat. More affection and acceptance showered on that…that _human_ in one moment than he'd received off his brother in the two-hundred years of his life! Why did that _kid_ get it so easy when he'd worked and struggled just to stay alive, and not received one ounce of his brother's praise. In his naïve youth he'd thought maybe if he tried hard enough, maybe his brother would somehow accept him. His brother hated him but loved this little brat?

Anger shook his body, as he growled under his breath, speeding back up the corridor, stopping only to briefly nab his fire-rat haori and white kosode from across 'his' bed. Glancing swiftly around the room, he felt a growl brewing at the back of his throat, throwing open the shutters and leaping onto the window of the room and out into the night. No way would he stay here and watch that! No way would he let his brother rape him! He wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing him like this - pathetically scared of dying like pitiful whimpering child. There was no way he would let that happen!

TBC


	3. You Will Never Be Strong Enough

Author's Note:  
**This chapter is meant to have a lemon scene it but it is cut out obviously. If you are old enough to view the sex scene and wish to, please personal message me with your email address. **

Dedicated to my wonderful reviewers of the original chapter 02!  
Princess Sin, CrimsonInHumanBlood, Nikkie23534, Chelle82, HeartStar, LadyTokyo, Polka Dot, Margichan, Snowfall and blondebrat2006!  
Thanks So Much *hugs you all*

Enjoy wonderful people!  
**Warning: Lemon in this chapter!**

**Chapter Three  
You Will Never Be Strong Enough, Never Be Good Enough**

Sesshomaru sighed as he watched Rin's sleeping form from across the room, the small human girl occupying his bed whilst he rested back into the chair by the fireplace, lost in thought. It was odd that she still suffered from nightmares about those wolves after all this time. After all, she was a happy child, she never wanted for anything (he saw to that) she'd quickly made friends with the servants' children, and had Jaken at her beck and call. What more could a young girl want for? True he never coddled her like a human parent might, but he shouldn't imagine fussing and preening over her like that would improve her any. She knew he cared about her and that was that. Even _he'd_ come to some acknowledgement in his own mind that he held some strangely placed fatherly affection to her. Would he have put up with her childish antics and _humanity_ if not?

No, Rin wasn't lacking in anything, Lord Sesshomaru had even appointed a trustworthy servant to perform all the necessary tasks that Rin, as a female may not otherwise be able to receive from him. Perhaps the human girl needed a real mother figure? He shook his head mentally at that. He had no intentions of mating one of those ridiculous demon wenches simply to play mother to her. In any case, all of those demonesses that'd been forced towards him by their guardians in the past would never accept Rin, _none_ of them would, she was human after all. Even if he insisted upon it, it was a mother-figure's love that Rin needed, and no demon would give that to a human…

He sighed again, frustrated this time. She often suffered from nightmares such as these, and she often took up residence in his bed, with him watching over her thoughtfully as a fateful guard. Come morning all would be well again, and she would be the happy, carefree child she always was. He passed it off at last, after hours of thinking. It was certainly just some childish fear, that would more than likely fade away after her transition into adolescence. Didn't all children, even _demon_ children have nightmares? It was bothersome, he decided, fretting over weak children, it was tiring. _But worth while_, his mind supplied.

Just when he had imagined his restless mind might finally allow him some peace for the night, than other thoughts burst into his mind. What might Inuyasha be like as a parent? He mentally winced at that. If he continued through with his intricately woven plan, Inuyasha would become a parent to his child or children. He would most certainly not let him parade his inconsiderate prudishness any longer, especially if it were to be rubbed off on his children. _Pups_, his mind supplied, having been around Rin too long, her human words rubbing off on him occasionally. _That_ was something he must remember to prevent form happening…

But Inuyasha as a parent? Much less the mother figure? Mother parents were supposed to be nurturing and devotedly caring – Inuyasha was…_not_ those things. Sesshomaru himself had been a selfish, immature youth, used to getting what he wanted for the most part. He wasn't a sulking brat but he was still not _kind_ as such. At first, when he'd fully reached adulthood, he'd not considered ever having pups. After having the burden of ruling the Western lands thrust upon him after his father's death, he'd been too wrapped in it all to give it much thought. And then later on, he'd come to a realisation that female bitches were selfish, ignorant and whining. He wouldn't be stuck with _that_ for the rest of eternity, and not mating a female literally lead to no pups. Unless he used a concubine to bear them specifically for him (which he didn't much care for) or he met someone _unique_ like Inuyasha, which wasn't very probable, since those like him were very scarce, and often, (since they _were_ half-demon) they would be killed before they reached adulthood, before their _gifts_ were discovered.

Now, looking back on it, he'd never really wanted pups, and yet here he was planning to tie his half-demon brother to him for eternity, and impregnate him? At first, the initial thought had been that it would undoubtedly make him miserable, and no other demon or human should be permitted the opportunity do so (with or without Inuyasha's consent) and hold some form of claim over _his_, Sesshomaru's lands. Perhaps also, lurking at the back of his mind, a shadow of a thought, that maybe if Inuyasha were here, under his careful gaze, he'd be able to put a stop in these foreign feelings that weighed heavily with guilt in his chest whenever he thought of him.

In any case, why did he care? He was Lord Sesshomaru, what he wanted he took; he didn't need to justify his actions. Who would stop him from doing as he pleased? So he didn't _need_ heirs, but as with most demons in royal blood, it was a sense of duty, of continuing the family name, a sense of _instinct_ to do so. Besides, it may prove _interesting_, a small spice to life that might add some strange element of excitement to his recently dull existence.

Suddenly there was a frenzied knocking on the door, and Sesshomaru mentally jolted from his pensiveness. "Enter." The door opened swiftly, Jaken stumbling into the room. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes in irritation. "What is it Jaken? Can you not see that Rin is asleep? What reason can you have to disturb me at this hour?"

Jaken stumbled forwards, a nervous look in his shifty eyes.  
"P-Please Milord. T-The guards say that Inuyasha has escaped." A small smirk quirked at the Demon lord's lips. _The chase is on, Little brother…_

Inuyasha's breathed heaved out into the cold night, a clammy mist drifting into the air as a result. It was so cold! He couldn't _ever_ remember being this cold! It felt like those first few nights he'd had to fend for himself, in the cold, unwelcoming dark, lost to the overwhelming misery at having his mother torn away from him. It hurt, his stomach felt as if he'd been kicked, just another trademark pain of this torture he was forced to endure every month, only it was only recently that he'd began to understand it…and _why_ it happened…

Stumbling slightly, Inuyasha's clawed hand snagged hold of the nearest tree, steadying himself as he paused for a moment, regaining his breath. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…I'm so…feel so drained…_

The rain beat hard down on his back, soaking his hair, causing the silver tresses to cling to his drenched, filthy clothes. He felt so hollow. He was running away from Sesshomaru, from what was rightfully _his_ home too. But where was he going? He had nowhere left to turn, nowhere to go. After travelling with Kagome for so long, fighting from going back to that very dark place that reeked of misery, he was there again. He was alone.

Plodding on slowly, Inuyasha gasped for breath. He was just so weak, the poison still taking its toll on his half-demon body, even while it wasn't actually there physically, and in cooperation with his monthly pains, he felt like he was dying slowly from the inside out. _It hurts,_ he growled mentally, stopping again, sliding down the dank tree bark onto the muddy ground.

Suddenly, his head lifted weakly, sensing the presence of something else in the clearing. He blinked the rain from his eyes, his silver hair hanging limply into it as his dull, golden eyes scaled the darkness. There was nothing to be seen. He was really regretting leaving the castle now…but his bitterness towards Rin, and both his fear and anger at Sesshomaru had mounted up alongside his current agony and growing confused terror, until he lost all rational thought.

"Something ails you, Little one?"

Inuyasha's damp ears flicked back against his skull. He knew that voice…Hikireimaru. He flung his back against the bark, sitting up straight in the mud, meeting Hikireimaru's crimson eyes, which glinted in the darkness as he drew closer, like a shadow reaching from the dark as all light faded. "I can sense a great pain in you…" he practically cooed, kneeling down before Inuyasha, his long tresses of black hair draping around their faces as he leant forward, his hot breath steaming over Inuyasha's cold face. He could feel himself slipping. He was so cold, so weak. Unconsciousness was fighting to overtake him, his stubborn humanity demanding he stay awake. If he passed out, Hikireimaru would take him, he knew it…

"Are your menstrual pains hurting you, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha winced, turning from his face and looking to the side, resisting the urge to hold his pained stomach. He just wanted to curl up somewhere warm and hold himself, and allow his naïve mind to believe he was safe in another's arms. To believe the pain wasn't there at all. But this cruel world wouldn't even allow him _that_ small comfort….

"G-Get lost…I ain't in the mood to deal with you," he growled, trying to sound threatening, but failing miserably, only rousing a smirk from Hikireimaru, as the Dark-haired demon brushed his claws over Inuyasha's face. The Half-demon winced in repulsion as Hikireimaru took in his scent deeply, a distinct, powerful wave of arousal steaming off the Demon, causing Inuyasha to recoil as far back into the tree-trunk as he could. "Your brother has scented you?" he asked, the words more of a statement than a question, leaning in to sniff Inuyasha's neck deeply, making the Half-demon blush, still very weak arms thumping the demon uselessly on his shoulders, not able to get him off. "And you were aroused…the evidence still covers you heavily…" His own clawed hands gripped Inuyasha's arms, holding him still as he leaned up, his lips descending towards Inuyasha's. The Half-demon screamed, turning his head away, inciting a hollow laugh from Hikireimaru, that chilled Inuyasha's blood. "Although it's meant to deter me, on the contrary…it only makes me want you _more_…My Little Half-demon…"

Inuyasha screamed again, though this time more in anger at his weakness and humiliation than fear, his cries echoing alongside the distant thunderclaps. Hikireimaru merely laughed again, holding Inuyasha's face to his. The next kiss inescapable as the Demon held his lips barely a hairsbreadth from the Inuyasha's.  
"STOP LAUGHING! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Inuyasha cried out, his voice more pleading and desperate than he'd like.  
"Cry as much as you like, Inuyasha, I will still take you one way or the other…"

The Half-demon raked his claws into the other male's shoulders, curling his lips in disgust, trying to recoil from the embrace, but failing.  
"GET OFF ME!"  
"You'd best do as he says…"

Hikireimaru paused, turning to face the voice, already _knowing_ to whom it belonged.

Sesshomaru stood carelessly at a distance, Inuyasha's eyes widening in horror at seeing him, his gaze dropping humiliatingly to the ground, unwilling to allow his half-brother the satisfaction at seeing the defeat within them. He gave up. He didn't care anymore. He didn't _care_! Pain, torture, love, loss, abandonment, rape…he didn't care. As long as he was alive, he'd endure anything…

I don't wanna die, he cried mentally, claws curling into his bloodied palm, I don't want to go to hell… He closed his watering eyes against the cold, against Sesshomaru and Hikireimaru. Not hearing the others' dull, murmuring words with each other. Pained tears falling and mingling with the falling rain at the painful memories of the cruel humans that had told him, in his naïve youth, of the heavens that held no place for dirty half-breeds. He was terrified, like a child scared of the dark, he was scared of death. And it almost killed him to even _think_ of admitting it, even to himself…

"Come here, Inuyasha."

The Half-demon snapped out of his pensiveness, raising his eyes to his brother, confused, not really sure if he'd heard him correctly. Sesshomaru's eyes widened briefly, threateningly. "Inuyasha. _Come here_." He _had_ heard him correctly. Sesshomaru was ordering Inuyasha to his side like a dog, and actually expected him to obey? Was he insane? But then again…what other choice did he have?

_"RAPED BY YOU – RAPED BY HIKIREIMARU – WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?"_

The Half-demon's own words revolved in his head. What _was_ the difference? Because right now he was faced with that choice…he could suffer one or the other…

"_Inuyasha_. I will not ask again."

Inuyasha winced, crawling slowly out of Hikireimaru's forced embrace, noting that the Demon did not restrain him or stop him from moving, as he got to his feet unsteadily, reluctantly stopping at Sesshomaru's side, his ears drooping slightly. Defeated.

"Be gone, Hikireimaru, and pray I never see your face again."

The Demon got to his feet, turning to face the demon lord with an arrogant smile on his face. "Will you kill me? _Lord_ Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru remained impassive. "If you ignore a blatant claim on my property again…I _shall_ indeed kill you. And what is more, I will take _pleasure_ in it…" As Sesshomaru finished, Hikireimaru bowed slightly, feigning courtesy, before departing the clearing, leaving Inuyasha shivering at Sesshomaru's side, in no better position than he'd been in before with Hikireimaru, particularly since he could smell a little frustration on his older brother as well…

"You fled the castle." It was a statement, not a question. Inuyasha said nothing in response, still reeling from his annoyance at Sesshomaru having called him his _property_. "Did you think it a game to see if I'd come after you, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha scowled. "I didn't _want_ you to come after me asshole! I left 'cause I couldn't stand another _minute_ of you!"

Sesshomaru smirked slightly. "Is that so?"  
"Yes it is! As if I wanna watch you doting over that…_human_, whilst you just…" he growled inwardly, not wanting to finish his sentence. He wouldn't give the bastard the satisfaction of knowing he was jealous of that human! However, he could tell by the look on Sesshomaru's face, that he already knew.

"So you are envious of Rin, is that it?"

Inuyasha growled. "NO! Who would be? Who _cares_? I _hate_ you!" He yelled, but that smirk never left his brother's face.  
"Indeed, in that case, why did you come to my side when I told you to?"  
"Because…because I-"  
"-Was afraid? Surely I am just as frightening to you as Hikireimaru?"  
"Yeah – I mean no but-"  
"-A small part of you _wants_ to come back with me, doesn't it, Inuyasha?"

That was it, Inuyasha snapped.

Leaping at Sesshomaru, the Half-demon raked his claws into Sesshomaru's chest, screaming his lungs out. "I hate you! I've never hated anything _more_ than you! The only reason I came to you is because that castle is-" His words cut off as Sesshomaru seized his wrists, keeping him from striking a second time.  
"It matters _little_ what you think, Inuyasha. Your confused mind does not comprehend that you _will_ make yourself useful to me," he paused, refraining from passing an empathic look over his brother. He was shuddering, freezing, covered in mud that stained his trademark fire-rat kimono and hair, his flesh as pale as death warmed up…not to mention the agony radiating off his brother in waves.

_No_, he mentally shook himself; _I am merely using him for my own purposes, why should I care about his body's condition?_ His mind reasoned harshly with him, yet he couldn't help but watch as his brother's terrified eyes wavered, the pained form falling forwards to unconsciousness, staining the white silks of his kimono with mud, the full-demon's arms coming to envelop the frozen frame. He needed to get him back to the castle, and quickly!

Hikireimaru smiled in the dimness, his ice-white fangs glinting forebodingly in the dark, as his obsidian clothed back leant back against tree trunk, the rain steadily retreating beyond the clouds. His crimson gaze closed against the forest as he heard the deft footsteps of his followers, coming closer warily, never knowing if their master would turn on them any moment. His smirk widened cruelly. _They are all so predictably obedient, so frightened for their own worthless lives…with one word I could have them tearing each other's throats out for no reason whatsoever… Just as it should be…_

"L-Lord Hikireimaru?" the closest demon asked, courteously cautious.  
"What news to do you bring?"

The demon swallowed, recoiling slightly as Hikireimaru straightened up properly, clearly frightened he might be struck.  
"No news Sir, just…the Half-demon, Inuyasha…we are to let him go?"

Hikireimaru offered the demon a wily look. "Whatever gave you that impression?"

The anxious demon's eyes widened slightly. "Just, Sir we – Lord Sesshomaru has him now and – we just – there is news of another half-demon not far from here. I presumed we would-"  
"-You _presumed_ wrong. Perhaps it would be best if you _avoided_ thinking in future, it seems to do you harm." The Demon flinched stepping back in frightened chivalry, allowing his master to walk past him, towards the demons gathered behind him, awaiting Hikireimaru's command.

"We will go for this _other_ half-breed. I will leave Inuyasha in Lord Sesshomaru's capable hands…for _now_… We will return when Inuyasha has had a taste for life as Lord Sesshomaru's whore for a while…then he'll be _begging_ for me to take him…"

The Demon servant cringed at the words. _No one_ in their right mind would _ask_ to be a bedding partner to Hikireimaru, the malicious, cruel creature that tore his _lovers_ to shreds, much less allow their body to be _used_ in the way he knew his master intended to use Inuyasha… Hikireimaru turned to him, as if knowing his thoughts, and the Demon bowed his head apologetically. "Indeed, you are not wrong… Your treacherous thoughts, they are true, and I take pride in such fear…_however_," he turned his back on his servant once more, running his clawed fingers over the vulnerable curve of one of the demons' throat, the admiring the dark hair that draped lightly over the shell of his ear, the frame mentally quivering, praying Hikireimaru wasn't planning what he could see brewing behind those fiery crimson eyes.

"Inuyasha's overwhelming desire to live…overshadows everything else…Half-demons are part human, and therefore selfish, he will do _anything_ to stay alive…_particularly_ now there is nothing left for him to shield…" The others watched Hikireimaru curiously, not truly understanding his words.

"Inuyasha has been betrayed in one way or another by everyone he has cared for and protected, they have all left him alone, and now, after centuries of having to grow up too quickly, his subconscious is regressing back to the time when he was terrified of everything… The only thing he's concerned about any longer, is staying alive…"

Setting Inuyasha's lightly clinging frame back onto the blood-stained sheets from earlier, he carefully plucked the Half-demon's claws from the front of his kimono, which was now thoroughly ruined, stained with blood and filth, not forgetting the distinctive tears which were caused by Inuyasha's claws.  
"Is there anything you wish me to do, Milord?" asked Jaken, grovelling at his Lord's side, determined to be useful.  
"I will require a bowl of warm water and a wash-cloth."  
"O-Of course Milord!" Jaken obeyed, darting towards the door.  
"And Jaken?"  
"Yes Milord?" he asked cautiously, unsure what the next words might bring.  
"Call the servant women to commission a temporary kimono for Inuyasha, whilst his own are being washed." Jaken swallowed hard.  
"Y-Yes Sire…" The door closed behind the little green demon, and Sesshomaru was alone with his brother again, only this time, the boy was unconscious – _again_. He seemed to have a knack for falling into unconsciousness lately...

Leaning forwards slowly, the Demon Lord freed his half-brother from his filthy clothing (aside from the _once_ white fundoshi, which currently was keeping Inuyasha's blood from making any _further_ stains on both himself and the bed), dropping the garments to the floor, forgotten for now. Sesshomaru's eyes drank in the uncovered form, brushing the backs of his clawed fingers over the Half-demon's stomach, causing the boy's brows to furrow, a small unconscious whimper sounding in the back of his throat. He pulled his hand back in surprise. Was this why Inuyasha hadn't wanted to be touched earlier? Because it hurt him? Sesshomaru felt a brief wave of guilt splash at his mind, before he shook it away, Jaken reappearing smugly in the doorway with a large wash-basin, two women following behind him.

"H-Here you are Milord." Jaken stated proudly, as the women seized Inuyasha's dirty clothes, manoeuvring to leave again, until Sesshomaru spoke.  
"You will strip this bed and replace the covers also," he said calmly, gathering Inuyasha to his chest carefully, one arm under his knees while the other wrapped round his shoulders, dropping his semi-nude little brother gently in the daybed by the fireside. The two women dropped Inuyasha's kimono again, manoeuvring over to the bed, swiftly seizing a side of it each, stripping the bedclothes, evidently nervous at being under their Lord's scrutinising gaze, just wishing to be out from under it as soon as possible.  
"I'll return with clean sheets, Lord Sesshomaru," the smaller of the two said, her voice a little less timid than the woman accompanying her, the taller, more timid female seeming to dart out of the door with the dirtied bed clothing and Inuyasha's kimono, rather than walk.

The Demon lord smirked, enjoying the terrified effect he had on his servants, even Jaken still stood by the side of the bed, having set the wash-basin on the side table, awaiting another order, or to be dismissed. Revelling at having Jaken stand there obediently, edgily apprehensive of what Sesshomaru might say or do next. He was fully aware of the nasty little demon's admiration towards him, and in all honesty, it never ceased to amuse him. The creature could have its little delusions if he wanted, as long as he was loyal, and did as he was told, why was Sesshomaru to care?

A small, barely audible knock sounded on the door. Inclining his head slightly, the Demon Lord bade them come in. It opened slowly, the serving girl lacking in nervousness from earlier appearing round the door, her arms loaded with bed dressings. Jaken eyed her superiorly, trying his utmost to be intimidating, only earning a scowl off of her, before she continued redressing the bed.  
"How dare you scowl at me so insolently? Young wench you should know your-"  
"-Jaken."  
"Y-Yes Milord?"  
"Silence."

The Little Demon dropped his eyes to the ground, his mouth remaining closed. Sesshomaru flicked his eyes to Jaken, the toad scrambling to obey his Lord's unvoiced order, snatching the wash-basin from the side and whisking it over to the Demon Lord, placing it on the small table beside him. Seizing the washcloth, Sesshomaru soaked it in the lukewarm water, running it surprisingly gently over the dirt-covered flesh of his still unconscious younger brother. A distinct taste of bile rose in Jaken's throat at seeing his master treat this – _Half_ -demon with kindness, _tenderness,_ even possible affection. To have his master touching this Half-breed's skin…it sickened him.

"That will be all, Jaken," Sesshomaru dismissed him, as if sensing his servant's thoughts. Secretly peeved, the toad hurried over to the door, disappearing beyond it, not at all happy at having to return to his _duty_ of entertaining Rin…

Inuyasha let out a little unconscious whine as Sesshomaru smoothed the dirt and grime from his skin, drawing both sets of eyes of the two remaining others in the room towards him.  
"He suffers greatly…"

Sesshomaru looked over to the servant girl as she smoothed her long pale fingers over the fresh silk sheets, ridding it of any creases or wrinkles. "The Half-demon…It is his cycle is it not?"  
"You speak a great deal, for a servant," he said complacently, but with an air of mock tenseness between them that had been common for many years. She stood up straight, her face impassive. Sesshomaru knew how she was so worldly, her mate, was after all one of his most trusted followers, Takara.

"If it is your desire, My Lord, I could prepare the brew that I use when such a time is upon a demoness, My Lord," she added again, covering up her confident wisdom with courtesy, rousing a small smirk at the corner of Sesshomaru's mouth. He would never admit the fullness of the bond he shared with this woman, the importance her existance was to him, as well as her significant other and not forgetting Rin. _Inuyasha_, well, he was more useful than he'd once been to his older brother, but nevertheless, he was still and irritating half-breed, Sesshomaru would _never_ accept him, but if he was so intent on living, the whelp might as well do something worth staying alive _for_, and obey the older brother whose life he ruined just by being _born_.

"That would be helpful. Are you finished now?" The Demoness nodded politely, placing the small remaining bundle on the end of the bed – it evidently being Inuyasha's temporary clothes.  
"I will ensure the boy's clothes are washed and returned as soon as possible my Lord, and the remedy will be sent up straight away." Taking his nod of understanding as his permission for her to take her leave, she departed the room, leaving the brothers alone.

Once he was sure that Inuyasha's body was free from filth (and that his hair had just been wet, not dirty), he half-heartedly nudged the boy's shoulder's, reluctant to lose the silence Inuyasha's unconsciousness had granted. His brow creasing slightly, Inuyasha's eyelashes fluttered, his eyes focusing in on the room, and his brother was still looming over him.

"What the-"  
"-Do not immediately begin to make a racket, Inuyasha. You came to my side, you passed out, _you_ ran away straight into Hikireimaru's hands whilst under the weakening influence of my poison and your…_cycle_. I have brought you back, and _since_ it is for your own benefit, at least for now, I expect to have no arguments. Is that clear?"

Inuyasha sneered, a low growl brewing in the back of his throat. How _dare_ this bastard talk down to him like he was some whelp? But at the same time (for _once_) he had to admit, Sesshomaru was right. Besides which, he was just…too tired to argue right now…

Lying back into the comfort of the day bed, Inuyasha frowned when Sesshomaru handed him the washcloth, turning his back on his brother. "Clean the rest of your body, and quickly or I will do it myself." Not desiring his _far_ too 'touchy-feely' half-brother to make good of his threat, Inuyasha hastily did as he was told (a rarity in itself – a _very_ 'un-Inuyasha-like' quality. He _never_ did as he was told), this fact only served to make Sesshomaru wonder even more. Strangely, the Demon Lord found himself…_displeased_ with this sudden obedience. It wasn't right.

Gently scrubbing the skin Sesshomaru had thankful _neglected_ to wash the dirt and blood from, Inuyasha shedding his fundoshi to the wooden floor, his eyes trained on the Demon Lord (who still had his back to him) as he reached towards the drying cloth lying beside him. Hearing the soft, barely audible caress of the fabric drying Inuyasha's body, Sesshomaru tossed his younger brother the fresh pile of clothing, deciding it wouldn't be helpful to have Inuyasha nervous of his nakedness right now. The Half-demon wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Now he knew Inuyasha was stupid enough to run away, he wouldn't make the mistake of leaving him the opportunity again.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

Said Demon turned to see Takara's mate enter the room, (without being asked, he noted) one arm with a soft white material draped over it while the hand other held a steaming flask. "Here, let the young Lord drink this and it should numb his pain."

Sesshomaru nodded, motioning for her to set the flask on the small table beside Inuyasha. The Half-demon's eyes widened, his skin flushing lightly as the woman approached, obeying Sesshomaru's unvoiced command. Desperately scrambling to try and force his fresh clothes on before she got a clear view of any of his naked _assets._

The swift movement only caused the woman and his brother's attention to shoot towards him, his flush deepening. "Lord Inuyasha, wait a moment." Her sharp tone directed at him made him jump slightly, not expecting any direct attention from _Sesshomaru's_ servants. He expected them all to despise him…to ignore his very existence!  
"W-What?" he growled in response, his usual gruffness slowly returning.  
"I have something for you." At her words, he arched a questioning brow. "Wrap this around you, before putting your clothes on…it'll…stop the blood from showing through."

He swallowed nervously, taking the material from her, mortified as she bent down, picking up his fundoshi. "I'll wash this along with your other clothes," she said quickly, giving both the brothers a small bow before departing the room.

Sesshomaru was watching almost curiously as Inuyasha turned his back to him, wrapping the soft fabric round himself deftly. _He has done this before,_ Sesshomaru's mind supplied, briefly wondering if Inuyasha had ever had anyone to explain _anything_ about this to him. But then, if he had, he wouldn't have asked Sesshomaru about this earlier, would he?

Perhaps his little brother deserved more credit for surviving this long than Sesshomaru realised. What was he now? Two-hundred years old? Or, more accurately one-hundred-and-fifty, since the fifty years sealed to the sacred tree by that deceased priestess wouldn't have affected his age (not that he'd _physically_ age much more anyway, when he reached two-hundred years of age he'd maintain the same appearance for the rest of eternity).

But still, he'd survived this long, alone, not only living through a _human time_ each month (whenever that time he lost his powers might fall upon), but also surviving six or seven days of menstrual bleeding each month since he reached adolescence? In this warring time, walking around reeking of _any_ kind of blood was like holding a homing beacon for demons over your head… _He survived this?_ Sesshomaru thought, the realisation of just how strong his little brother must've been only just hitting him. Not that he'd ever give Inuyasha the satisfaction of knowing of this new epiphany of his, but he found himself…oddly _proud_ of his Half-brother living this long under the circumstances…

"What's this for?" Upon Inuyasha's question, the Demon Lord looked to find Inuyasha sniffing the steaming flask curiously, his nose turning up at the foul smell.  
"That is for you; Nannami brewed it for you to...take the edge off your _pains_."

Inuyasha scowled at him. "It stinks!"  
"You can have a foul taste on your tongue or you can deal with the pain, which will it be?"  
"Feh! I ain't no wimp; I don't need some weird medicine to-"  
"-In either case, I do not care. Just get into bed."

Inuyasha's eyes widened at that, and he swallowed hard. Sesshomaru just asked him to get into bed? It wasn't so much the bed that scared him, in fact the thought of lying back on those warm sheets was…_inviting_, it was just the implications of what Sesshomaru might _do_ to him in that bed was…_disturbing_…

Sesshomaru left Inuyasha's side, moving over to the bed and pulling back the sheets, turning to face his younger brother, silently inviting him to the bed. As his brother spun to face him, Inuyasha felt a shiver run down his spine; it was as if those eyes were enchanting him, beckoning him forwards. Whether he was under some sort of twisted spell or not, Inuyasha found himself getting to his feet, moving almost separated from his self as he sat on the edge of the bed, staring up with wide, confused eyes at Sesshomaru. He felt like a child waiting to be punished. His older brother's eyes stared down at him impassively, as if detached from the rest of the world.

"What has made you so obedient Little Brother? It is not like you to do as you are told," Sesshomau noted. Inuyasha was yanked roughly from his distantness, a scowl creasing his brow, as a low growl sounded in his throat.  
"Screw you! I ain't obeying anybody!"  
"Indeed, that is more than five times in the last few hours you have heeded an order of mine."  
"Only because I was gonna do them anyway! Maybe you've got me confused with some of those demon whores of yours but I ain't your 'beck and call' girl!"

Sesshomaru smirked. "Do not push your luck, Inuyasha; I will not be gracious enough to not take you if you insist on pursuing this pointless argument."

Inuyasha's mouth clamped shut at that, not trusting his brother not to go through with his threat. "I merely wish to know…why it is you are so different to when I saw you last, a month or so ago… What has changed?" At those words Inuyasha lowered his gaze, his claws wrenching at the silk sheets as the vivid images of seeing Kagome for the last time, seeing her tears stain her usually happy face as she said goodbye forever. Inuyasha clenched his eyes shut defiantly, he _wouldn't_ cry! All this time, and he'd managed to avoid such a weakness. Men didn't cry!

"What happened to that human priestess of yours? Is she not always at your side? Why is it you were alone that night when Hikireimaru tried to take you?" A fang grazed Inuyasha's lip as he tried to fight back the painful memories. _"I'll never forget you…" _Blood ran down his chin from the wound, it hurt so bad to remember. He could even smell her tears to this very moment. _"You won't…forget me?" The girl approached him slowly, setting her hands on his shoulders, leaning up to brush a kiss against his suddenly dry lips._ He could taste her, feel her breath. It hurt so much.  
_"How could I forget you?" he answered her huskily, "Kagome I…I…"_ Even then, he couldn't ever form the right words.  
_"It's alright Inuyasha…I know…And I…"_

_Kagome,_ his mind cried as he recalled her arms around him. _Don't leave me…_

_"I love you Inuyasha…I always will…"_

_Don't leave me…not you…please…everybody always leaves…_

_"Kagome…"  
"I love you Inuyasha…you know…if I could stay, I would…you know that, right?" He nodded, nuzzling his nose lightly into her hair, engraining her scent to memory. How could he forget? The girl who'd fallen into his life and given him happiness, purpose, hope…The girl who'd given him love…He'd __**never**__ forget her…  
"I love you…" He heard her smile.  
"The Sacred Jewel can only be purified for good if I take it down the Well…but when I do…I'll be stuck in my own time…"  
"Then let me go with you!" Her embrace tightened.  
"It wouldn't let you pass through…you know that…" He heard hear tears again. It was tearing him apart. "If I stay here, I will change time permanently, and could destroy everything for the future, including...us…" He frowned in confusion. "If I stayed, I could change things so that I would never be born in the future, and then…all the good we've done for the world, for __**each other,**__ it'd be erased, and you'd still be pinned to that tree. I can't let that happen to you… And the Well won't let you through…"_

Present day Inuyasha growled inwardly at that. How fair was that? After all they'd done for this _stupid, cruel_ world, they couldn't even be happy together at the end? What type of screwed up system was that?

_"I…I want you to be happy, Inuyasha…Live, smile, be happy, for me…please? I won't be able to live on the other side if I don't know you're happy."_

How could he tell her then? How could he tell her as he watched her slip down the well for the last time, that he'd _never_ be happy? _No one_ in this time accepted half-demons, _who_ would make him happy, make him smile and laugh like she had? _Nobody. "Kagome…" he cried out quietly, as her aura left his era – and him, forever._

_Kagome…_

"Kagome…"

Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow. He'd sworn he'd heard his brother mutter that human girl's name. Did she die? Did she leave him? What had caused him to become so melancholy?

"Kagome," Inuyasha repeated quietly, "she…she left…she went home, forever…"  
"And that is all? You lower yourself to this _disgraceful_ state for the loss of a mere human?" At Sesshomaru's words, Inuyasha snarled, leaping to his feet, caring not if his brother towered above him. He wanted to tear him to shreds!

"Who cares what _you_ think? You're just some snobby, snotty little prince that gets whatever he wants, _whenever_ he wants! You've never had to fight or strive for _anything_ in your life! It's always been handed to you on a platter! You've never had to be branded _different_, blamed for things that weren't your fault just because you're a _'filthy half-demon'_! _Half_-demon, _Half_-breed, _Half_-human! Half…Half…HALF! Does it make me half a man just because our demon father loved my human mother? Does it!"  
"Silence, Inuyasha-"  
"-NO! Just listen to someone besides yourself for once! I loved her, so WHAT? She was the only one willing to love me unselfishly, to not _want_ me to be different from what I was! You'll never know that kind of love! You're too damn selfish to love anyone but yourself and that's why no one but a naive mortal brat will ever give a _damn_ about you!"

Sesshomaru sneered, raising his hand and smacking Inuyasha across his face, sending him flying backwards across the bed, crying out in pain.  
"If she loved you so much why did she leave?" He goaded. Inuyasha sneered, wiping the blood from his mouth.  
"You can't do it; I _know_ she loved me, that's one nerve, one piece of me you can't pick at just to hurt me. The fact is you can't stand to hear the truth, and I'm the only one who dares say it! So whenever I do you strike me down and spit back bile! You – you don't know _anything_! You can't find anyone who loves you so you single out your little brother and try to make him have your kids because _then_ you'll _finally_ have something to call yours! Even if I _did_ have your pups they'd never love you because you're too cynical and _bitter_ to _love_ anything! I pity any pups that call you father!"

Inuyasha flinched as Sesshomaru leapt over him, kneeling over his hips, his fangs bared dangerously close to his throat.  
"You speak of things you _do not_ understand!" he growled out, snarling in Inuyasha's flickering ears, the Demon Lord's eyes glowing a threatening red. "You, a _Half-demon,_ belonging to _neither_ world, with no place _anywhere_ – when everyone whose ever got close to you has left you alone, how can _you_ preach to me about love? You will never be strong enough, never be as powerful as father or I! You pathetic mongrel, you will always be alone! You shall live for the rest of eternity _alone_, until some demon sees fit to end your misery, and then you will _die_ alone!"

Inuyasha's eyes widened, a glittering watery glint in his eyes. _That_ had hurt more than anything Sesshomaru had said, his very innermost thoughts and fears spoken aloud. They were fears he'd only shared with one person, and the kind-hearted priestess had once assured him his fears were unfounded, and yet, with her gone, the fears were slowly resurfacing, and that swing at the walls surrounding his heart had been the final blow that shattered him. He felt the boundaries crumble. "I…I know…I know I'm alone…"

Sesshomaru's glorious fury and satisfaction over the stung Half-demon crumbled at that, his golden eyes drifting back from their enraged crimson, as he sat back on the bed, gazing at Inuyasha with wide-eyed confusion. Inuyasha, he was…he was…crying…

Sesshomaru's golden eyes widened as the Half-demon pressed his body into him, his clawed fingers clinging desperately to his chest. Tears cascading down his pale cheeks. "You think I like being so alone? It makes me feel like I'm that scared little kid again…running away from everything…"

The Demon was speechless at witnessing such brazen vulnerability in his usually resilient, stubborn sibling. He hated this Inuyasha… This Inuyasha, with pleading, childish golden orbs, so very alike and yet at the same time so very different from his own, that expressed each and every emotion he felt whether his hard exterior showed it or not.

It was so much more difficult to hate this Inuyasha, when all those eyes were pleading him to do was to love him, and so deceptively capturing him in moments where he could almost see himself doing so. He hated this vulnerable Inuyasha far more than he did the overly confident foul-mouthed little upstart he was used to. And yet, this was his, _Sesshomaru's_ own doing. He'd shattered the already crumbling walls that formed his brother's tough exterior…he'd struck the most vulnerable part of Inuyasha – his already bruised heart – and now _this_ was the aftermath of that blow.

_No,_ he thought, mentally shaking himself. _This is a __**Half-demon**__; he is father's downfall – his disgrace! He and his whoring mortal mother!_ Inuyasha hiccupped despite himself, and Sesshomaru grit his teeth, trying not to believe his thoughts, as the Half-demon unconsciously stroked his tear-stained cheeks across the delicate softness of Sesshomaru's clothing in an attempt to sooth himself.

_That's not true,_ Sesshomaru's other voice argued, _if you thought so furiously ill of him you wouldn't have saved him from Hikireimaru, __**twice**__ – He is __**my**__ father's disgrace, it is only right his blood be on my hands when he takes his last breath – And if you keep telling yourself that maybe one day you'll believe it!_

The Demon Lord growled, making Inuyasha jump and recoil away slightly, which Sesshomaru regretted, disliking that betrayed look on the boy's face twice as much as his vulnerability, the look that told him he'd been brought out of his desiring to be comforted a little. Sesshomaru had actually been growling at his own self, and the fact that the second voice was correct, he hadn't really convinced himself to kill Inuyasha, not even after all these years. He was a supreme demon, his father's true son in power but without those treacherous emotions confusing his actions. Whoever he wanted dead was killed, and that was simply it. It did _not_ take him two-hundred years to kill someone he truly hated, which could only lead to one conclusion…

"I have no desire to harm or kill you Inuyasha…" Sesshomaru found himself saying, feeling quite disembodied, and betrayed by the slowly concealed emotions that since his father's death, he had kept firmly sealed within some darkened corner of himself. He felt the same, eerie, ghostly detachment as he leant over, his potentially deadly clawed fingers tracing feather-light touches over his cheeks, tilting his head a little so that those eyes were gleaming up at him.

"I do not know if I can ever assure you of it, particularly in light of my recent, harsh words, but I have no desire to harm you…and I will not do so." That feeling was there again, however, Sesshomaru knew the words were somehow his own, and were truthful. "Do not ask me to explain, Little Brother, since I do not fully understand myself but…" Sesshomaru felt a compelling force practically sweeping his face closer to Inuyasha's, so that his hot breath steamed over the Half-demon, making him flush slightly. "…All I seem to want to do is hold you…"

A long awkward silence fell, in which Sesshomaru failed to release Inuyasha, and the said Half-demon wet his suddenly dry lips in anticipation.

"I…" Sesshomaru stumbled for words. One half of him was knocked off his feet with confusion as for what to say, when the other half seemed to have completely forgotten speech and simply wanted those slightly parted, rose coloured lips against his own. _This isn't happening,_ Sesshomaru's cold, rational voice stated, but becoming very overwhelmed by the demon's emotions. _You are __**Lord Sesshomaru**__ not this half-demon's lap-dog!_

Sesshomaru didn't even comprehend his mind's last words as he started to speak again, still a little compelled to comfort Inuyasha for no apparent reason. More than likely due to the severe blow he'd _personally_ just dealt his brother, trying to wipe that confused, childishly desolate look off his youthful face.

"You lost your mother when you were very young, you had to fend for yourself and grow up quickly, so I believe that…that…"  
"That?" asked Inuyasha quietly, his voice husky and almost silent.  
"…That due to this, you have grown over the childish vulnerability, the desire to be protected that any child has, and covered it with this bold exterior you seem to carry… But all of a sudden, with so many betrayals of those you care for, so many times abandoned and even more trials that never seem to get you anywhere, the exterior has finally worn through, and now you're a completely lost boy again…" Before Inuyasha could process the words and explode at the insinuations of weakness in them, Sesshomaru was slowly spanning the gap between them. "…you don't know where to turn…"

As Sesshomaru's mouth leaned to his Inuyasha felt panicked and trapped, turning his head slightly so that Sesshomaru's lips missed his. The Demon looked down at him, those same crystal tears he hated with vengeance were brewing again, as was his own confusion. "Inuyasha-"  
"I hate this world. I'm sick of being alive… But I just…"

Sesshomaru snatched for Inuyasha's wrists before the Half-demon, distraught with emotion could start tearing at his own body. Pity mingled with the desire to comfort, and reassure just then, as Sesshomaru pulled his half-brother against his chest firmly, and small fists pounded angrily against his torso, struggling for freedom in realising what he was revealing.  
"Inuyasha…" Sesshomaru couldn't find anything to say, he'd never been a man of words after all, he spoke with actions and battle techniques, not soothing speech or words like the Half-demon needed now.

Suddenly, an overpowering urge practically seized him, and Sesshomaru found himself tilting that face to look upon him once more. "She no more tears, Inuyasha," he found himself saying, almost not of his own accord, but again they were his own words, "not for a world that is not worth the salt."

Inuyasha blinked his wet eyelashes at him, partially confused that his brother was offering comfort. Just as before, their lips were a hairs-breadth apart as Sesshomaru's soft whispers fell against his skin.  
"But you…you said that I was just-"  
"-I was angry…I dimly recall some angered words from _you_ as well, Inuyasha…" As Sesshomaru spoke, Inuyasha swallowed hard, trying not to let his brother's hot breath against his skin faze him.  
"It's all your fault anyway…you were…" he found the bitterness resurfacing as he recalled why he'd run away in the first place. "You were…and that _human girl_ was-"  
"Your jealously of Rin is unsubstantiated…she was…she is my ward, understand?" he replied distantly, his slightly pointed tongue flicking at Inuyasha's chin. "It is necessary to offer her some form of comfort from the nightmares she suffers from."

Inuyasha frowned, both at Sesshomaru's words and at the odd warmth pooling in his loins from the attentions he was receiving. Seeing a small lingering sadness still clung to his younger brother's eyelashes, Sesshomaru swallowed lightly, pressing on to reveal his innermost thought on the current matter, hoping it would rid the Half-demon of his tears. "I suppose my caring for Rin was my conscience's way of making up for not caring for you as a child, Inuyasha..."

Instead of being angry, or even shocked, Sesshomaru heard another question fall from those flushed lips.  
"Does she love you?" Inuyasha asked simply. Sesshomaru frowned at the question as the Half-demon continued, "She looks up to you…she worries about you…she follows you around and always wants to see you…the way she obeys so happily, almost like you're her father or something…does she love you?" He repeated the question.

"You seem so concerned about _love_, Inuyasha. It is just a word-"  
"-But it's what the word implies that matters," Inuyasha retorted, earning a small smirk from Sesshomaru, as the Full-demon leant down to graze his fangs over the elegantly formed collarbone beneath honey-hued skin, loosening the pale kimono slowly. Inuyasha's eyes clamped shut in response, too embarrassed to look.

"And you, you wish for this _love_, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha gasped as that devious tongue circled a rosy nub, flicking it teasingly, nearby fangs threatening the erogenous flesh before the slippery appendage lathed it once more. His temperature was rising rapidly, like a sudden fever. But he still felt that horrible throbbing in his stomach, and that made him cautious of any _other_ possible pain, the aftermath of the poison having died down somewhat.  
"I…I can't have it so what's the point of pining for it?" he growled out heatedly, his breaths now heady pants in the dimness of the room.  
"Precisely Little Brother," the Demon Lord panted lightly, watching Inuyasha's face contort in response to the foreign pleasure as he teased the neglected bud. He was responsive…that was interesting. "Do you like this, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha whined slightly, twisting his head in confused pleasure. "S-Stop it!"  
"You said that before…you didn't mean it then either…"

Inuyasha winced as Sesshomaru dropped swift nips and passes of his tongue down his sternum, the pain in his stomach throbbing a little more painfully as his brother's attentions lowered a little closer to the area. He whimpered again, but for a different reason this time, and Sesshomaru could tell the difference, raising his head lightly, recalling his suspicions of why Inuyasha had been harder (if not impossible) to seduce earlier.

"You should have taken the drink Nannami made for you," he said stoically. Inuyasha's ears lowered slightly, the Half-demon not saying a word. Growling impatiently, (not liking his _mood_ interrupted) Sesshomaru got to his feet, taking the opportunity to shed his outer kimono, snatching up the slightly cooled flask and handing it to Inuyasha. "Drink it if you wish for the pain to subside. You are nearing the end of your cycle are you not?"

Inuyasha didn't say anything, he was still confused. Sesshomaru had changed moods so rapidly. He'd been yelling and screaming hurtful things, then embracing him, seducing him, and now he was bossing him about like an ill pup? It hurt Inuyasha's head to think of all the split-personas that had arisen in the last few moments, especially when he was so used to his brother just being an emotionless bastard. Momentarily forgetting his pride, Inuyasha accepted the flask, gulping down the sickly flavoured liquid as quick as possible, to limit the amount he tasted. It made him shudder, his ears flicking slightly in response.

"And what if I had said you were supposed to sip it?" Sesshomaru asked dully, setting the flask out of the way, taking the time to shed the rest of his clothes whilst Inuyasha was distracted by the practically immediate effects of the concoction. The only answer the Demon Lord recieved was a small, satisfied sigh, sensing the pain in Inuyasha's body lessen vastly within the next few moments, until it had almost completely subsided. He'd have to reward Nannami later; her abilities were almost magical…

"Has the pain lessened?" he asked huskily, already knowing the answer. Inuyasha, having not noticed Sesshomaru lowering himself back over his form, tracing the backs of his claws against the back of Inuyasha's knee, whilst brushing his fangs lightly down the inside of a milky thigh. The Half-demon's breath hitched, his heart thumping his suddenly heated blood round his body. His hips jerked up in reflex as deft swipes of that deceitful tongue brushed the crease that was the apex of his thigh, hot breath steaming onto heated flesh. A gasp tore from Inuyasha's lips response, the noise shrill and broken, his scent spiking in arousal to the point of inevitable intoxication.

Whilst Inuyasha marvelled silently that Sesshomaru's breathing had returned to normal so quickly, Sesshomaru watched Inuyasha's panting, sweaty nakedness with interest, still amazed (even though he'd guessed it'd happen) that his seed didn't come back out from Inuyasha as it had his previous male partners. He smirked proudly. He may be a brash, irritating Half-demon, but his redeeming qualities were _far_ more valuable than his other qualities were off-putting.

Inuyasha yelped slightly as Sesshomaru seized his arm, yanking him to his chest. "Sleep, Inuyasha," he said drowsily, pressing on the Half-demon's head, letting it rest against his chest. "I trust you will not attempt to escape again tonight, Inuyasha? I am in no mood to go chasing after you in the forest again…" At those words, Inuyasha grumbled something incoherent against the sweaty chest, eyes closed as sleep approached inescapably.

Even as he felt his breathing even out again, he still struggled against the overwhelming exhaustion, his extinct to flee from his older brother that for pretty much every day of his life had tried to kill him, practically forbidding he not let his guard down around this demon. His flesh had tasted those poison claws too many times to be at natural ease around him. And yet, those arms slowly encasing him, they just felt so...right.

Those arms seemed so willing to comfort and he was so desperate to be comforted. He hadn't been held like this since the days when his mother was alive. Inuyasha been ashamed to say that after his mother died, the thing he missed most…was being held while he slept – comforted when he was upset. Could Sesshomaru offer him that? He was just so cold, and weak, all he would have to do, is lean into the warm embrace. Why not take advantage of this small comfort?

Whether he'd made the conscious decision or not, Inuyasha's ears rested tiredly into his hair, a breathy sigh escaping against Sesshomaru's chest as the half-demon, allowed himself to fall against that unfamiliar warmth, surrendering to sleep.

~TBC


	4. You Were Never Conceived In Love

Review me! I'm a Silly little pervert who needs love! XD  
**Warning! Mild smut references in this chapter!**

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**Chapter Four  
You Were Never Conceived In Love**

There was something to be said for sleeping indoors, no rude awakening from the sun's first rays in the early hours of the morning. Inuyasha sighed unconsciously in his sleep, drifting gradually into reality, his sleepy eyes opening slowly. Small trickles of light escaped in through the shutters at the windows, and the Half-demon basked in the comforting warmth surrounding him, revelling in being allowed to awaken slowly as opposed to darting into alertness. After so long without any sleep, he found himself never feeling so good, well that is, except for the dull throb in his backside and legs. _What the hell…?_

Suddenly he frowned slightly, as warm breath disturbed his silver hair slightly. Propping himself up onto his elbow, he stared down in horror at the sleeping Demon lord whose arm was wrapped loosely round his hips, claws clinging firmly to him. Inuyasha swallowed hard, his heart hammering in his chest as he watched Sesshomaru's chest rise and fall gracefully, his crimson coloured eyelids closed in sleep. And slowly, the horrible events of the night before came back to him, causing his abused muscles to throb in painful reminder.

Sesshomaru had taken him! Sesshomaru, his brother had fucked him into the sheets, and _he_, he'd _let_ him! He'd laid back an taken it like some wanton whore, and he'd _enjoyed_ it! Too nervous to blush at the feeling of _very_ naked parts of himself pressed against Sesshomaru's nudity, Inuyasha gasped, feeling the wind knocked from his lungs as his brother crushed him back down to his chest, emitting a small, shuddering sigh, as those golden eyes fluttered open.

"Why must you be so defiant in the mornings, Inuyasha?" asked Sesshomaru, his words barely audible and that smirk gracing his features as his flustered sibling struggled against his chest, fighting for freedom. "Just lie still, allow your body to awaken properly…"  
"Oh yeah? Well why you gotta be so violent in the morning, Jackass?" At Inuyasha's coarse tone, Sesshomaru's brow creased. It appeared the breathless, delectable little intoxication from the night before had apparently gone, and that brash, loud-mouthed little brat was back. He growled under his breath.

"Curb that insolent mouth of yours Inuyasha; I have no wish to deal with your ranting at this hour. Lie still."

Inuyasha huffed indignantly, struggling against the embrace, particularly since he realised why he'd awoken. Nature was calling, and he flushed as he felt himself harden as he did every morning, squirming uncomfortably in Sesshomaru's hold. He felt his older brother's chest vibrate with an irritated growl once more.

"If you do not stop that incessant fidgeting I will-"  
"-Well what the hell do you want me to do? I need – _No_…!" A small little whimper drew from his mouth as he felt Sesshomaru's deft fingers seize his member, squeezing gently.  
"You seem to change your mind so quickly, _Inuyasha_…" he cooed in his ear, smoothing his thumb over the sensitive pink tip, "you were screaming your bliss to the world, begging for my touch last night, when I took your virginity…"

Those fingers tightened round him slightly, causing Inuyasha to throw his head back, crying out again. "That is the face I remember from last night…it seems your morning erection is giving you grief, little brother…do you crave your own brother's touch that much?"

Inuyasha whimpered, tossing his head to the side as the Demon lord fondled him softly, heavy gaze observing the weeping length under the mercy of his hand.

"D-Don't say stuff like that! T-That's not – It's – Ah!"

Sesshomaru's fingers stroked through fine silver curls, brushing the backs of his claws teasingly over Inuyasha's scrotum and massaging the sac gently in his hand, rousing a groan from the Half-demon. Pre-emission drizzled down his twitching shaft, slicking the movements of Sesshomaru's fingers.

"S-Stop! I – I need to go – Sesshomaru stop!" he demanded, but the Demon lord ignored him, enjoying that twisted look of tortured pleasure on that flushed face far too much to care for the words. "I need to pee – let me get up!"  
"Stop this foolishness, you know as well as I that you cannot do that and _this_ at once," he muttered, leaning in close to the Half-demon's face so that his breath steamed over flushed skin, punctuating his sentence with another thrust over the member in his hand.

"I needed to go before…come on I-" Inuyasha was cut off as Sesshomaru leaned closer, capturing his lips with a soft, placid kiss. As he drew away slightly, Inuyasha's eyes widened. Why had his brother just done that?  
"-How do I know I can trust you to go about the castle on your own?" The Demon asked. Inuyasha's bladder groaned. "You do have the tendency to go off gallivanting on your own-"  
"-I ain't going nowhere without the Tetsusaiga and my fire-rat kimono you dumb-ass!" yelled Inuyasha viciously, more in response to his desperate need for release than in anger. "Let me go piss or I'll go on _you_!" Sesshomaru smirked, releasing his brother gently, crawling backwards onto his heels. Inuyasha lay panting on the bed for a moment, not realising his brother had backed off immediately, slowly getting to his feet.  
"Down the hall to the right, seventh door on the left," Sesshomaru said dully, dressing himself swiftly, his back to his brother.

The Demon Lord turned upon hearing the door open, a smirk playing at his lips as he watched Inuyasha yank his temporary kimono around him grumpily, limping slightly from the room. Evidently their actions last night left a rather uncomfortable burn for Inuyasha. The after-effects, he assumed were rather like that for a female. It would hurt after the first few times, but after, pain shouldn't be an issue. Perhaps later he would ask Takara to give him something to rid Inuyasha of the pain, but right now, he needed to start returning to his duties as _Demon Lord_. Inuyasha wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and if he tried, he'd just bring him right back again. Whether he wanted it or not, Inuyasha was staying until he was done with him…

"It isn't right Takara, that poor boy, barely even a man, Lord Sesshomaru is keeping him here, preparing to use him like some…breeding entity. It's cruel Takara! Demon Lord or no, _no one_ has the right to do that!"

Takara rolled his brilliant blue eyes, running his fingers through the tresses of dark hair, tying it back carefully. "Our opinions are irrelevant, Nannami, Lord Sesshomaru will do as he pleases. Don't fret yourself over circumstances beyond your control."

The demoness growled impatiently at her mate, as he headed towards the door.  
"You _never_ disagree with him. We saw the same pup grow to be this selfish brute yet to you are the only one that can see no wrong in your precious Lord's actions."

Takara's lips quirked into a smirk, walking over to his love and planting a swift kiss on her forehead, holding her shoulders softly. "Never dearest… Lord Sesshomaru... We have just known him since his birth, even helped him come into being, no one seems to notice that he has suffered his fair share in the past. Amidst his cold exterior, Lord Sesshomaru is a good man, you above all others know this."

Nannami sighed, her temper soothing at the truth in her mate's words, a sad sign of recollection glistening in her fiery eyes. "Dearest I merely worry for his judgement...since Lord Inu-no-Taishou-"  
"-_trust_ me," Takara cut across her, laying another kiss on her forehead, "things will all come out right in the end…"

As the Demon drew away from her, she sighed irately. "You are his advisor and healer; you could easily sway his decision in the matter."

He arced a brow. "Believe me, my love, when I say you forget the Lord the pup we knew has grown into - _no one_ can make Lord Sesshomaru do something he does not already wish to do. In any case, I would never betray his trust by trying to influence him, and neither would you, deep down..." he looked thoughtful for a moment, staring blankly into space, before meeting her eye with a warm smile. "I have to go now," she sighed again, pushing past him sulkily, heading for Rin's room, ready to get the young lady up and dressed for breakfast.

Takara closed the door to his chambers behind him, watching as Nannami stopped in the halls as Sesshomaru approached her, his mate bowing courteously to him.  
"Nannami, Inuyasha will need to bathe, see to it that you run him a bath after you've attended Rin, and assist him to dress. Make sure not to neglect to brush that rebellious hair of his also."

The Demoness nodded curtly, muttering (quite audibly) under her breath as she stalked out of sight.

Sesshomaru seemed to smirk as he approached Takara, pleased with managing to irritate the female so early in the day. The two grated against each other like a match on a matchbox. He held respect for her, strangely. Should _anyone_ speak such things about him under their breath he'd surely crush their breath from their lungs, but not her. Even had she not played such a role in his life for as long as he could remember, he admired her bravery; she was headstrong, polite but not simpering, not selfish or preening like most females of their kind.

"Your mate looks better every day," Sesshomaru muttered softly, rousing an amused smile from the vaguely smaller man beside him. "Something vexes her?" At this, Takara laughed slightly.  
"Just the usual, My Lord. You wished to see me?"

Sesshomaru nodded, gesturing towards the study down the hall.

Taking a seat in the chair behind the desk, Takara stood opposite, only sitting when Sesshomaru motioned for him to do so.  
"I have left you in charge of the Midsummer's eve gathering, you realise your duties?" the Demon Lord asked.

Takara nodded. "Of course, Sire. I will endeavour to take care of everything. Guests, decoration, the banquet - all shall be taken care of."  
"Indeed," muttered Sesshomaru, moving to sign the papers on his desk, the invitations to this ridiculous gathering. "I will finish signing these…" he said, still writing, "and then you can send them off, so I will not have to bother with it anymore, it shall be in your hands entirely."  
"Of course. Anything else, Sire?"

Sesshomaru paused, looking up form the parchment. "New summer kimonos for Myself, Rin and _Inuyasha_ will need to be commissioned for the event; can you care for this also?"

Takara nodded, trying not to let past the slither of a smile at his Lord's words. "New outfits will be also commissioned for Inuyasha, for everyday use. That shabby fire-rat kimono _lacks_ the elegance a member of this house should show."  
"Forgive me, Sire, however, to force such things on him will only serve to make him less comfortable, less at ease here," Takara advised softly, "the change is overwhelming as it is, it would be best, perhaps, to allow him _something_ familiar in these strange surroundings, at least just until he gets used to things. Perhaps you should _ask_ him if he would like different clothes instead of telling him."

Sesshomaru's brow arched. "Indeed, and what (pray tell) gives you the impression I care for how _comfortable_ Inuyasha is?"

Takara shook his head lightly, still smiling a little. "My Lord, Inuyasha is not one of those grasping demonesses that throw themselves at you, you cannot buy him by showering him with expensive gifts, it will not work that way. He will only take offence."  
"I am not doing this for his pleasure; I merely do not wish to look at him in that wretched fabric any longer. If he is going to be my mate he will dress and _act_ accordingly."

Takara was silent, but he could see into those worldly, azure eyes, they told him _exactly_ what wasn't being said. Still, he ignored the silent words.

"As for Hikireimaru, if he's seen within the borders of my lands, he will be executed, understand?"  
"Yes Sire, but still, you have had Hikireimaru within your grasp many times before; why not just kill him then?"

Sesshomaru pushed the signed papers towards Takara, leaning back slightly in his chair. "Because, whilst Hikireimaru was out there, Inuyasha was afraid to leave the castle walls, it was a small technique to keep Inuyasha here until I could complete the task at hand." For once, Takara looked confused.  
"Sire?"  
"It was necessary to keep Inuyasha here, until I instigate my plan…"

A shadow flickered past the crack in the door, drawing the attention of the two demons towards it. "Inuyasha…" Sesshomaru muttered softly, getting to his feet, gliding towards the door, opening it entirely. The Half-demon jumped back slightly as the door swung open before him, an impassive Sesshomaru standing in the doorway. Staring into those emotionless eyes, Inuyasha's brows creased into a frown, scowling angrily at his brother.

"You bastard!"

Sesshomaru stepped aside as Inuyasha leapt for him, the Half-demon stumbling into the room and spinning on his heel to face him, snarling angrily.

"You tricked me into staying here!" The Demon lord feigned a bemused expression.  
"_Tricked?_ Indeed, I asked you to come to me, you had a choice and you chose to come back. There was no trickery involved-"  
"-Don't lie to me!" Inuyasha cut across him, swiping at him with his claws, nicking his brother's flesh through the kimono, but only just. "You kept Hikireimaru alive on purpose just so I'd stay with you long enough for you to get me _pregnant_ so I could _never_ leave! You selfish bastard!"

Takara leapt from his chair, moving out of the way as Inuyasha took another dive at Sesshomaru.

Snatching the attacking hands by the wrists, Sesshomaru smiled arrogantly down at his little brother's face, flushed with anger.  
"What has got you so upset? Are you surprised? I thought you knew me so well that you could anticipate my scheme, or perhaps…you expected that I'd keep you here because of something else…_love_, perhaps?"

Inuyasha growled, yanking his wrists free, staggering backwards slightly from the force of the pull, his blush darkening.  
"You bastard! That's not-"  
"-To want it so badly, I can see that desire all over your face, _Little Brother_. Even after you said yourself there was no point in pining for it…"  
"That's not it is it? You made sure I was scared shitless of Hikireimaru, and lured me back here, and you _humiliated_ me!"  
"Is that what half-demon call rutting?"  
"STOP FUCKING WITH ME!" Inuyasha screamed swatting the chair before him aside, the wood crumbling under the force as it slammed into the wall. "STOP LAUGHING AT ME! STOP IT! You made sure I was so scared I'd do _anything_ to stay here, away from Hikireimaru, you didn't rape me but what you did was close enough to it! You're a lying, scheming son-of-a-bitch!"

Those claws shot at him again, seizing the offending hands successfully once more; Sesshomaru yanked the fuming, struggling Half-demon close to his chest. "You bastard…" Inuyasha growled, dangerously quiet, "If I'm pregnant I'll rip that smug face to _shreds_."

Sesshomaru sneered slightly, baring his fangs, perilously close to Inuyasha's throat. "It matters little if you carry or not, be sure _Inuyasha_, that if you do not carry already, I will not hesitate to try again, even _without_ your mission – and don't _attempt_ to deny, that last night you were _anything_ less than willing…"  
"Get _off_ of me."  
"I will when and if I wish to do so, and not a moment sooner, understand?" he stated, impressing upon his sibling exactly where he stood in their deformed relationship, but Inuyasha didn't answer. "Do you understand Inuyasha? Do you understand who holds the power here?"

Those furious golden eyes glared up at him, but still he remained silent. "I will let you go, but when I do, you will go straight back up to your chambers, where Nannami will assist you in bathing. Understand?"

Inuyasha sneered, rushing several steps back from Sesshomaru as soon as his hands were freed. "If I get the chance, don't think I won't kill you," Inuyasha threatened, "and it doesn't matter if I'm _pregnant_ or not, 'cause if I am, I'll rip the damn thing outta me if that's what it takes. I'll _never_ be used like that by _anybody_." The last word came out more of a snarl than a word, and the Half-demon disappeared out the door.

"Do you think he'd really do it?"

Sesshomaru looked to Takara at the man's question. "Kill the pup I mean."

Sesshomaru shrugged. "Inuyasha is an unpredictable mystery; I can never tell what he will do next, particularly when angered. That is what makes him such a formidable foe in battle…"

Takara stared at the open door a few moments longer, before risking speech once more.  
"My Lord, it would be best for me to examine as soon as possible, if the Lord Inuyasha is carrying, it would be best not to allow him to get so…_upset_."  
"Indeed," muttered Sesshomaru, heading towards the door, lingering a moment longer. "In the mean time, have the guards doubled, nothing gets out, nothing gets in without my permission, am I clear?" To this Takara nodded, watching the Demon Lord follow in his younger brother's wake. _More than likely to make sure Inuyasha hasn't_ 'lost' _his way,_ Takara thought, shutting the study door behind him as he left. He had a feeling things were not going to run smoothly in this new _'relationship'_ between the two brothers, in fact, he was almost certain of it.

Inuyasha tensed as the woman looked at him expectantly, as a parent might do to a stubborn child. He swallowed nervously, keeping his eyes firmly away from her, eyeing the luxurious washroom distractedly. "Lord Inuyasha, please, the bath isn't going to scald you."

Inuyasha looked sceptically at the hot water, which smelt as if it had some herbal bath oil in. "It's just something to soothe your…_muscles_," she muttered softly. The Half-demon looked at her this time, was she being _nice_ to him again? It was sort of odd to be addressed with such politeness by someone under Sesshomaru's command, and if he wasn't mistaken, wasn't she also trying to _help_ him?

"My Lord, I know you're sore, so please, just get in, it will help you feel better, I promise you."

"Look," said Inuyasha finally, still remaining very much clothed despite her efforts. "It's not that I don't trust you or _want_ a bath I just…I'm pissed off with 'Lord High-and-mighty' and besides that, I don't feel particularly comfortable dropping my clothes around a girl."

She looked surprised. Offering him a little smile of amusement, she fought back a laugh. "I assure you Lord Inuyasha, I am no 'girl' - I'm a woman, a demoness, and an old one at that…I was just in my adolescent years when your father was the ruling demon of the Western lands." She smiled again at the curious look he got on his face, his ears pricking slightly upon mention of his father. "And I also assure you, that I will not be embarrassed or in any way phased by your nudity, I've seen and bathed enough bodies to not react in such a way."  
"I didn't mean you, I meant _me._ I don't want anyone to see my naked parts thanks."

Huffing slightly with amused impatience, the woman turned her back on him, her arms folded tightly over her breasts. "I'm not looking, does that please you?"

Inuyasha snorted, untying his kimono uneasily. "How do I know you won't peak?"  
"I have a mate of my own to _ogle,_ My Lord, in any case, you are my superior, until Lord Sesshomaru says otherwise, I must do as you say." Inuyasha's ears pricked again at that, his head tilting to the side slightly in interest.  
"You do?"

She nodded, still not facing him as he dropped his clothing completely, sliding onto his bottom, wincing in slight pain as he did so. _Another reason to never let that bastard do that to me again,_ he growled mentally, dipping his feet into the water first, testing the temperature, not noticing Sesshomaru lingering like a shadow behind the door that was ajar, listening closely to the conversation.

"Miss Nannami?" Inuyasha asked, shocking the demoness a little that he addressed her by that polite adage by a half-demon renowned for his rude, callous attitude.  
"Just Nannami, Lord Inuyasha," she corrected, blushing a little. She hadn't been called 'Miss' since she was a little girl. But the half-demon didn't continue with his question, just slid all the way into the waters, only his neck upwards visible above the water.  
"I wish I wasn't so weak…" he muttered almost inaudibly, more to himself than Nannami, his back hunched against the side of the tub. "Last night…it only happened because I was too weak, too afraid of resisting the comfort Sesshomaru offered, even if it wasn't real, I wanted it all the same. I was just…so pathetic I…I took what Sesshomaru offered because…I was so concered I'd never feel that way again, that I just…stopped fighting him. I _let_ him win…"

Nannami threw the wash cloth and 'soap' to Inuyasha, turning to face him now his _'naked parts'_ that he hadn't wanted her to see were submerged in the water.  
"I'm not sure I understand you, Lord Inuyasha…" she said softly, fixing him with a sympathetic gaze. "You're blazing with fiery anger, hatred, strength, and yet you seem so, vulnerable and sad. And forgive me for saying; it seems to me as if, on the inside, you're so desperate for affection that you're becoming only too willing to accept it, even though your heart feels that its wrong."

Inuyasha flicked his gaze up to her as he scrubbed at his skin unconsciously under the water. A distant expression weighed heavily on his face. "I know…"

Sesshomaru frowned in his place in the hall, the Inuyasha he'd known, the one he'd been fighting with all these years, he'd _never_ have accepted being called vulnerable nor speak of his feelings. What was going on with him? Had this 'abandonment' issue really cut him so deep?

"I know…and I…I know in the demon world, that brothers – _men_ can do those things with each other, can even mate with each other and nobody bats an eyelid but…humans aren't like that… _I'm_ not like that and I feel sick when I remember what happened last night…It was wrong, and stupid, and…Sesshomaru backed me into a corner, making sure I only had one place to go besides straight into Hikireimaru's trap, and that was into his bed. And being the idiot I am I chose to come back here!" He slapped the water with his fist in anger at himself, causing the surface to shatter, the recurring ripples offering a strange form of comfort as he threw the wash-materials to the side carelessly.

"And now Sesshomaru and that guy say I might be _'pregnant'_…I'm stuck with my fucking brother's kid _inside_ me," he winced, his hands going down to his stomach slowly, clenching his hands in anger. "I couldn't stand it…my own brother's kid, _squirming_ in me, feeding off me, like some parasite," he growled, biting his lip to stop shameful tears from spilling down his cheeks. "I'd rather rip it out of me with my own _claws_ than have Sesshomaru's kid…"

Nannami looked horrified, staring at him with wide, wide eyes.

"I can't stay here…just looking at Sesshomaru…it reminds me of what we did, and it makes me sick…"

Moving round the large tub, Nannami tidied the wash-materials into the little basket they belonged in. Sitting on her knees behind Inuyasha she allowed him the simple decency of being able to let his tears fall freely, without being disgraced by her seeing them.

"But that's not all, is it, Lord Inuyasha?"

He didn't respond, but his ears twisted slightly towards her, so she knew he was listening.

"You love this _Kagome_ you've mentioned before, the one the rumours say you were travelling with? That's why it feels worse, because you feel you've betrayed her in some way. But…she wouldn't accept this, even if it made you happy?"  
"That's just it though…" he muttered, without turning round to face her, "I'm not. I'm never going to be again…I _hate_ myself. All these years, with people telling me how _disgusting_ and _tainted_ I am. I've never hated myself, or regretted surviving this long, but now I do…I _hate_ what I've become…"

_This poor kid,_ Nannami thought, _he's so lost and confused. And he's so young too. He seems so overwhelmed by it all…._

"Is your cycle nearly over?" she asked. He shrugged.  
"It was supposed to be over tomorrow, but…"  
"But?" _I wasn't bleeding this morning,_ Inuyasha's mind supplied, not voicing his words aloud, there's no way he'd talk about _that_ with someone. _That could mean anything though, who knows, maybe it'll stop now I've had sex…or maybe I did bleed, just lightly, and I didn't notice?_

It was plausible, the weight of the bleeding often varied from time to time, didn't it? He wasn't sure, all he _hoped_ was that the problem really wasn't what he thought it was…

Leaning forwards slightly, Nannami scooped his now damp hair off his back, making him jump slightly.  
"Wh-What're you-"  
"-It's alright, let me help you wash your hair for-"  
"-That will not be necessary Nannami, thank you," came the stoic voice of Sesshomaru as he entered the room, causing Inuyasha to slide backwards, crushing himself as far into the far edge of the tub as he could get.

"You may leave now, Nannami, it is time for Rin's lessons I think."

The Demoness gave Inuyasha a pitying look, before getting to her feet, flouncing from the room. It wasn't that she minded being ordered about, or minded caring for Rin, it was her job, and she'd taken a fair liking to the little human girl. She just didn't like what Sesshomaru was doing to Inuyasha, even though it was none of her business. It was almost a mother's disapproval for his actions, though she was not at liberty to express them vocally...

Sesshomaru did not miss the distinct glare she'd thrown him before shutting the door behind her. Revelling slightly in her dramatic mood change since his appearance in the room, the Demon Lord turned his attention to the more pressing matter at hand – his brother. He hadn't liked what he'd overheard at all. That pathetic, desperate, self-loathing in his brother's voice made his chest hurt, he loathed it. He'd rather Inuyasha be angry and violent than this dejected little puppy-dog he'd suddenly become.

_Sick_, that's what Inuyasha had said, he felt _sick_ after being with him. Hadn't he only offered Inuyasha what he'd wanted? True, he himself had wanted the more intimate part, but he'd offered Inuyasha the comfort, the affection, the uncharacteristic kindness he could tell the Half-demon's heart was yearning for. They'd both got what they wanted from each other. What was so wrong?

_"I can't have it so what's the point of pining for it",_ Inuyasha had said that, but now, looking back with his mind cleared of the fog of arousal, Inuyasha, by the tone of his voice, clearly _had_ and still _did _want that.

Inuyasha didn't just want to take affection wherever he could get it; he wanted it from the person he loved, that loved him. A foolish desire that seemed a trait of females, but nevertheless, he undoubtedly wanted it all the same. Amidst the terror and loneliness, with intensified emotions from his menstrual period, he'd taken what he could get, even if it was from his own brother. But he was regretting it, to the point of wanting to kill the possible life inside of him? Or was that just a dramatic mood swing brought around from the time of the month? He wasn't sure. In fact Sesshomaru had _never_ been really sure about Inuyasha, he'd always been…_difficult_ to figure out, if not impossible. All he could decipher, was that the wrong words, the wrong actions could only serve to make matters worse, and in light of this droopy-eared 'sad-puppy' look, Sesshomaru wasn't all that willing to discover how much more worse it could become.

Sesshomaru knelt down slowly beside the bath, watching Inuyasha closely, only serving to drive the half-demon further against the far edge. "I would wash your hair for you."

Inuyasha remained unmoved, staring apprehensively into his older brother's cold eyes.

"But for you to do so, you must come here," Sesshomaru pressed.

Still unresponsive to the words, he did not move, nor utter a word. Resigning himself to the fact that Inuyasha _wasn't_ going to make this easy, Sesshomaru gathered himself to his feet.

Leisurely running his fingers along the neckline of his kimono, Sesshomaru untied the sash binding his clothes tight against his skin, thankfully he'd neglected to dress himself in his fur and armour as well (though he often didn't do so whilst in the comfort of his own home), and the material shuddered down his skin to the ground. Stepping slowly from the clothing, Sesshomaru never failed to notice Inuyasha's eyes widened further and further with each tantalising inch of skin revealed. Trembling slightly in recollection of that skin pressed against his the night before, Inuyasha sickened himself, to think such things of his own brother…the night before truly had engrained a warped ideal of this twisted fraternal romance in his mind. _What's going __**on**__ with me…?_

Drawn from his self-berating thoughts, Inuyasha started at finding that deceptively gorgeous form sliding into the water, practically gliding towards him.  
"No…" he muttered, "No…No, No stop it!"

Sesshomaru paused as Inuyasha flinched, recoiling from his touch as he reached towards him. Bringing his outstretched arm back to his side, the Demon Lord raised a brow. "Hold no fear; I do not intend to take you again right now."  
"_Right now?_ Not now or _ever_ again!" Inuyasha yelled, his voice slightly higher than usual.  
"Calm yourself," Sesshomaru said impassively, "turn around."

A brief flash of fear flickered across those golden eyes. "W-What?"  
"Do not look at me so accusingly, or do you mean for me to call Nannami back in to do it for you?"

Inuyasha huffed, covering up his timidity and embarrassment by turning his back to his brother, leaning his arms along the edge of the bath, his head resting on his arms.  
"Well? What're ya waiting for?" the Half-demon asked indignantly, a little of his old-self creeping into his voice.

Reaching forwards slowly, Sesshomaru paused as the light contact of his fingers against Inuyasha's hair caused the Half-demon to flinch slightly. Running his deft fingers down the tense muscles of his brother's shoulders, Sesshomaru whisked Inuyasha's hair off his back and draped it over his shoulder carefully, willing away the anxiety from the body in front of him.

Once the Half-demon seemed comfortable with his touch, the Demon Lord cautiously averted his claws, combing his fingers through the silver tresses and fanning it out in the water. Inuyasha leant down into the water further as the hands on his shoulders willed him to do so. Growling almost inaudibly in contentment, he felt skilful fingers sift through his locks, the hands only drifting away in favour of applying the cream-rinse to his now wet hair, returning swiftly to lather it gently into his scalp.

Inuyasha's mouth moved unconsciously, a little purring whimper rumbling involuntarily at the back of his throat. It felt so good, no one (besides his mother at least) had ever indulged him like this, even Kagome (though more out of shyness than neglect), had only risked a few, skittish strokes of his ears. At some point, his mind had forgotten who was offering the warmth, the affection. Without really thinking at all, he was just accepting and relishing the feel of those fingers ghosting in to touch the pink underside of his ears gently, a flush dusting his cheeks and the bridge of his nose with the embarrassingly pleasant stroking of his ears.

"I am not mistaken this time, Inuyasha; you are enjoying yourself, are you not?"

Inuyasha didn't say anything in response. Tumbling back from the comforting state of unaware, he slid back into the dark, disorientating array of thoughts and fears. How could he make Sesshomaru understand? He _did_ enjoy it, that was the problem! He would do anything for this pleasure, this doting kindness, to have this affection which he thought he'd never have, but not with his own brother, it was too disgusting to comprehend.

They were sons of the same father, _humans_ didn't do that sort of thing, wasn't he part human too? True, he was part demon, but due to being raised by and around humans, that side of him had been nurtured into dominating his demonic blood. He held human values and beliefs in his fragile heart, and the thought of carrying his own brother's offspring was just too disturbing to comprehend…He'd be uncle and father – _mother – whatever_, at the same time? He didn't care if demons did it all the time, how would he explain _that_ to the kid when it grew up?

Suddenly he was torn from his thoughts, Sesshomaru stooping behind him to scoop water in the nearby container and spill it over his younger brother's head, drowning the Half-demon's thoughts along with the remaining soapsuds. The cleansed hair glistened in spotless purity, the silver even shimmering with dazzling white strands in tricks of the light as Inuyasha turned to face him slowly, _reluctantly._

"Why can't you understand…?" Inuyasha muttered exhaustedly, not meeting his eyes, Sesshomaru frowned slightly.  
"Understand why my brother cannot simply accept his place? Why he refuses to embrace his demon blood over his human half? Why he goes as far as to threaten his and _my_ potential pup in mere bitter hatred of me-"  
"-Stop it! This isn't about you! You're so self-absorbed!" Inuyasha growled, momentarily forgetting both his and Sesshomaru's nudity. "This was _never_ about you! You may have hated me since the moment I was conceived but I _never_ reciprocated that hatred – I was angry, I wanted to know why my own flesh and blood, the only family I had wanted me dead for simply being _alive_! I fought back, pretended to _hate_ back, for survival, but I never hated you, even after all the shitty things you've done to me."

Suddenly, a short pause interupted him. But when he found his voice again, it dropped to an almost inaudibly quiet murmur. "As for not embracing my demon side…you've no one to blame but yourself for me not learning the ways and traditions of demons…as my only living relative that's _your_ job, but conveniently you were too busy being a spoilt brat to realise that responsibility…"

The corner of Sesshomaru's mouth upturned in the beginnings of a growl, but he swallowed the threatening noise as Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak once more. He could express his displeasure for the _truth_ in that statement later, if Inuyasha chose now to reveal his emotions, he could postpone it easily…

"And…is it just so wrong to not want to carry _your_ child?" He sounded offensive, slightly bitter; it sounded strange coming from Inuyasha's lips directly after such vulnerability had been expressed by him. "You've got a heart of stone! You kill humans _and_ demons even if they just piss you off a little, not to mention you hate me with a fiery passion, practically _raped_ me, you're scheming, conniving… I just don't wanna even _think_ about what kind of parent you'd make, you'd probably replace spanking with a little dose of that poison _wouldn't_ you?"

Sesshomaru felt his anger steadily simmering to the surface again. Inuyasha was questioning _his_ parenting skills? A simple case of the 'pot calling the kettle black' had unexpectedly arisen here. Inuyasha had struggled enough_attempting_ to raise that kitsune that had once lingered amongst their little group, only to hand the parenting of the fox-child over to that demon slayer and her monk. He wouldn't try and fob off his own pup so carelessly would he?

_No,_ his mind supplied, _probably not, he more than likely handed over parenting to those humans for the sake of stability. They will have children of their own, a warm, safe life – a home to offer, Inuyasha could never give him that…_ Still, Inuyasha was hardly in a place to be pre-judging his parenting skills, especially since his were so lacking – dramatically so in fact.

"Oh, and let's not forget the fact that I don't _love_ you. Who wants to tell their kid that they were the result of their father tricking their…_other_ father into bed? Who wants to tell their kid that their parents didn't love each other? It was bad enough you were always telling _me_ that when I was younger…"

Once again, Sesshomaru felt himself on the bitter end of the echo of his own words. How could he have known that Inuyasha would one day find a way to throw those words back in his face?

"I only just found out what my bleeding means…and all of a sudden you're telling me I might be having my brother's kid? Wouldn't _you_ be pissed off?" His voice was steadily rising again in anger. How did Sesshomaru _expect_ him to react for goodness sake?

"I can't be with you, I can't stay here, I can't raise another life with _you_. We've spent every day of my life fighting each other, how could we provide the kind of surroundings a kid should grow up in? You – you just charged into this and you didn't even _think_ did y-"  
"-Silence. I have heard enough. Regardless of the trickery you seem to believe me capable of, I _meant_ what I said to you last night; I have no desire to harm or kill you Inuyasha. I may not understand every lingering thought that explodes into your mind, but _you_ seem to be misunderstanding a few things…"

Inuyasha looked at him expectantly. "We are mates now – a binding eternal bond, even if I hated you, as the dominant in this coupling, it is my obligatory duty to care and provide for you whilst you-"  
"-_Care and provide for the young'_, I know this, Myoga explained it _decades_ ago – _old geezer was good for something_," Inuyasha cut across him, the last part mostly to himself. "But screw you if you think I'm gonna lay back and be provided for like some idle bitch – I'm a man too! And I won't be treated like some wench just because you took me like one!"

Sesshomaru's brows arched in surprise at those words. Perhaps that was what had caused this event to grate extra hard against Inuyasha's principles – Inuyasha, who had always had to be the strong one, the one that survived on his own on pure strength, he felt like he'd been treated as inferior by being the one that was taken. This, furthered by his treacherous fear and human views on incest would _certainly_ be enough to explain his irritation, and Sesshomaru supposed _his_ actions hadn't helped much either…

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said quietly, "Lying with another male as the submissive doesn't make you any less of a man," he corrected, "in demon society, that position means nothing, you are not thought of or treated differently. But while the submissive of _any_ relationship carries, it is the dominant partner's responsibility to care for them whilst they are weakened by that condition. That is all."

Inuyasha lifted his head slightly, and Sesshomaru could see, that a little of the burden had been lifted from those glistening golden eyes. "You are entitled to any opinion of our mating or our pup, but before you leap to any unnecessary extremes, allow Takara to examine you, so that we can decipher whether or not you _do_ carry."

Inuyasha sighed, both physical and mental exhaustion weighing heavily on his consciousness, he may have only just woken up, but the previous night's events and that bath were slowly tugging the need for sleep over his mind. He couldn't remember _ever_ feeling so tired.

Climbing modestly out of the bath, Inuyasha scrambled for his fire-rat kimono that Nannami had left folded neatly on the side for him, freshly cleaned, drying himself haphazardly so he could dress himself quickly, before Sesshomaru had the chance to try and either watch him or try a repeat of last night. A small yawn tugged at the corners of his mouth as he tied the sash round his kimono tightly, he was hoping – praying that Takara wouldn't voice his fears. If he was pregnant, he didn't know what he'd do…

TBC


	5. You Will Not Rise Above

**Chapter Five  
You Will Not Rise Above**

Sesshomaru tore his gaze from his little brother's form as he followed him along the halls. Strange, that Inuyasha should comply with a request of his. _Or perhaps Inuyasha is more anxious to discover if he carries or not,_ his mind supplied. That was more than likely. Those curious ears twitched ever-so-slightly every now and then, and the Demon Lord could _guess_ that those clawed fingertips would be tapping agitatedly on his arms which were concealed _somewhere_ within the baggy kimono's sleeves. _And he is being so quiet,_ he thought, _so unlike him. One would think he would be __**glad**__ to be blessed with __**my**__ child…if that is the case. And if he is not…I will not hesitate to try again…_

Suddenly Inuyasha yelped, jumping slightly as he was yanked hard from his thoughts, a strong grasp stopping him in his tracks. Spinning on his heel the Half-demon growled angrily. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Sesshomaru you _ass_ don't grab me like that!"

The Demon Lord quirked a brow, gesturing to the door before them.  
"Takara's work chambers are here, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha snorted indignantly, storming through the door carelessly without invitation from the demon inside, leaving his brother loitering in the doorway.

Takara's head shot up from his previous activities as the fuming Half-demon barged in the door. Sitting back in his chair, the servant stared in surprise as Inuyasha stopped before him almost expectantly. An apologetic glance from his lord roused a small smile from his lips, before he glanced back over to Inuyasha once more.

"Something ails you, Lord Inuyasha?"  
"Keh," Inuyasha answered, dropping himself sulkily into the seat near the corner of the room, not looking at anything in particular as Sesshomaru stepped into the room at last, closing the door behind him.  
"As advised by yourself, Takara, I have brought Inuyasha. I wish to know if he-"  
"-Keh! You didn't _bring_ anyone, Jackass," Inuyasha interrupted huffily; "I came of my own accord! Stop talking about me like I'm not here!"

Sesshomaru refrained from rolling his eyes impatiently. His new _'mate'_ was proving to be very difficult…

Takara smiled warmly, getting to his feet. Ignoring the slight flinch from Inuyasha, he looked down at him pleasantly. The Demon had more faith in his Lord's sense of morality than most. All he could hope was that Sesshomaru would realise what damage he was doing to this boy sooner rather than later…

"Lord Inuyasha, you request that I confirm whether you're pregnant or not?"

Inuyasha couldn't help his eyes widening slightly. This – _Takara_, he was asking _him_? As opposed to Sesshomaru?  
"Errr…yeah, sure…" he replied uncomfortably, not feeling any better when offered that oddly warm smile.  
"I will require you to stand over there," Takara said, gesturing to the centre of the room. Inuyasha watched his movements curiously, as if not really comprehending them. "Will that be alright, My Lord?"

The Half-demon was tugged from his thoughts at the small kindness of being considered – for once. "Y-Yeah…Over here?" he asked gruffly, quite out of sorts, as he moved to the free space in the room, his arms resting uselessly at his side.

Those eyes – Cool, and yet heart-warming blue, they were so welcoming, so calm and understanding – he wished this man would just be rude and sneer at him, like everybody else, at least _then_ he'd know how to react!

"Yes My Lord, and you will need to raise your garments off your stomach. Will that be alright?"

Inuyasha's gaze, for some reason wavered over his brother, who was watching him intently. Swallowing hard, the Half-demon shrugged, resisting the urge to shrink away from the touch as Takara dropped to his knees before him. Scowling at the snide look on his brother's face, Inuyasha fought with the ties of his fire-rat haori, reluctantly raising it only _just_ off his stomach.

"Just get on with it," the Half-demon griped, looking away indignantly.  
"Yes, My Lord, it will be over as soon as possible," Takara assured him, not thinking it best to make him feel even more awkward than he already did, guessing that those practically triumphant looks his lord was throwing the Half-demon weren't helping much either…

Inuyasha refrained from wincing as he felt strangely cool sensation of Takara's clawed fingers pressing firmly into the contours of his stomach. Frowning slightly, Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak several times, only to close it again dumbly. Finally, his voice ventured past his lips. "What's with the touchy-feely stuff, you can't feel even if there is anything in there can you?"

Takara raised his eyes to smile at him again. "My Lord. As a male half-demon that bears the _skills_ that you do, your organs are slightly differently arranged to ours." He could sense the brothers' confusion at his words, and he sighed quietly. "In other words, you have both male and female productive organs inside your body, and it is all somehow arranged so that, if given opportunity, you could do both without endangering the health of you or any offspring."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Is that a complicated way of not answering my question?" he asked sceptically, rousing a little laugh from the man on his knees before him.  
"No no, My Lord. I am merely explaining, that due both the advanced growth of a demon pup, and the arrangement of your internal organs, I can feel if you are expecting, quite well."

Sensing the unasked question lingering behind the Half-demon's eyes, Takara ventured to answer it. "And no, not even I can smell a change in you so soon. After all, due the….lingering potent scent of intercourse, no demon can separate it from the faint fertile scent. Until the pup is at least a few days into its growth it will not begin to emanate any form of scent that is strong enough to be smelled over yours."

Inuyasha nodded dumbly, just wishing this to be over. He didn't like the idea of someone fondling his stomach, especially while Sesshomaru watched with that gloating look, as if he already knew the answer….

He _did_ wince then, whatever Takara had poked apparently his body didn't agree with. Drawing back onto his heels before rising gracefully to his feet, Takara silently signalled that it was okay for Inuyasha to put his haori down now. "Well," Takara sighed with that seemingly trademark smile. "I have discovered that Lord Inuyasha, you are not pregnant."

Inuyasha cocked his head slightly to the side.

"You are definitely sure?" asked Sesshomaru blankly. Takara nodded.  
"Without a doubt, Sire. Lord Inuyasha does not carry. _However…_" he trailed off, rummaging in the drawers nearby for a moment, apparently finding what he was looking for as he withdrew his hand. He tossed the discovered item to Inuyasha, who caught it promptly. "This is for you, My Lord. It will ease the remainder of the discomfort…from _last night_." Inuyasha looked away, hiding his pale blush as he stowed the semi-translucent vial in his kimono.

"Well," Takara sighed cheerily, turning to face Sesshomaru, "if that is all you expect of me, My Lord, I must attempt to-"  
"-And where, Little brother, are you intending on heading off to?" The Demon Lord asked expressionlessly, standing in his brother's path as he headed towards the door. Inuyasha scowled up at him.  
"I'm heading _away_ jackass. Now _move_!"

His face remained passive as Inuyasha shoved past him, Sesshomaru seized his little brother's arm, causing the boy to spin on his heel to face him. "Let go of me!" Inuyasha snarled, failing to wrench his arm free of Sesshomaru's grip. "I ain't carrying your stupid pup so I don't have to be here anymore! Let me go! I'm out of here!"  
"You will go _nowhere_, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru insisted, only succeeding in rousing an enraged growl from the Half-demon.  
"You ain't the boss of me! I'll do as I like. You heard him, I'm not pregnant – you've got no right to keep me here!"

A dangerous hissing threatened at the tips of Sesshomaru's claws, as his grip on Inuyasha's wrists tightened. Inuyasha yelped in pain, trying to tear himself free.  
"My Lord!" Takara insisted, moving towards him, "that's a little severe is it not? Your father would not have approved of you using poison as punishment. You will only upset your brother all the more-"  
"-LET GO!" Inuyasha screamed, finally ripping his wrists from Sesshomaru's grip. Moving swiftly to charge past his brother again, the Demon Lord swatted Inuyasha to the wall roughly, leaping upon him in moments, pinning him in place.

"_This_ relationship is inescapable. Just where do you intend to go?"  
"My Lord, please-"  
"-ANYWHERE BUT HERE! Now get OFF of me, ASSHOLE!"

Sesshomaru sneered down at him, his clenched fist rising, slamming hard into the wall mere inches from Inuyasha's head. The Half-demon to flinch.  
"You may not be carrying, but do not presume you can escape this bond. We are _mated_, you cannot escape me."

Takara threw his lord a sceptical look, only to have the words on the tip of his tongue silenced by Sesshomaru's commanding glance.

"I don't _care_…" Inuyasha growled lowly, his rage building in light of his situation. "Why can't you understand? I don't _want_ to stay here…"  
"And you presume I _care_ for what you want?" Sesshomaru asked coldly, "I told you before, should you for any reason fail to conceive, I will not hesitate to try again…"

Horror struck Inuyasha's face. "And I told _you_, you aren't doing that to me again – not ever!"  
"Again, you make the assumption that you have a choice in the matter."  
"JUST LET ME GO!"  
"And where do you intend on going? You do not _have_ anywhere to go."  
"My Lord, I do not pretend to be in the place of giving you orders, but as your advisor, I _advise_ you to let him go."

Sesshomaru smirked arrogantly, releasing his brother's arms. Takara moved back from Inuyasha's path as the Half-demon shoved Sesshomaru back roughly, darting from the room.

"My Lord," Takara muttered humbly, bowing slightly, "Forgive me, I mean not to interfere, but you only provoke him by resorting to such spiteful words - and your poison, it does not subdue him. You will not win his cooperation that way, Sire. Ordering him, and acting without consideration of his feelings…it only incites him to rebel."

Sesshomaru turned to face his advisor slowly, awaiting the question he could sense lurking behind those trustworthy azure orbs. "My Lord," the servant began, now straightening up from his bow. "Regarding the 'bond' you spoke of with Lord Inuyasha, is it for any particular reason that you are keeping the truth from him?"

Sesshomaru smirked, not answering.

"What I refer to of course, is why would you tell your brother that you are mates when none of the appropriate rituals or procedures have been made? It seems that only the bond has been formed."

"Takara," the Demon Lord replied at last, "I merely played on Inuyasha's ignorance of his own species' rituals and requirements. I imagined once he intended to mate that foolish human, however the Half-breed does not even understand what it _takes_ to forge that bond. If he is foolish enough to believe that all a mating requires to initiate is rutting then _that_ is his own failure."

"My Lord," Takara said quietly, lowering himself onto one knee, not meeting his lord's eyes. "Forgive my Lord, I have watched you since you were a pup, I have advised you and guided you whenever you asked it of me, but always you have come to an understanding of things – to the _right_ conclusions and actions, independently. But I fear my Lord, that if left in this way, your uncertainty of your younger brother and your desperation to keep him here will only continue to cloud your better judgement. Lord Inuyasha…I believe he is…a very fragile creature. All this deceit…I am afraid it will backfire for you, Sire."

Inclining his head slightly to gaze upon his obsidian-haired servant, Sesshomaru gestured him to rise from the ground. "Indeed, your fears are not without reason. Inuyasha is unpredictable, however, it is _because_ of this fact that I cannot wait until I have won his trust and courted him in the proper manner. _Anything_ could go wrong if any amount of time is given, besides which, I have this feeling in my chest. I cannot explain it…"

Takara nodded with a smile. "Yes Sire, I understand. But you say that there is no time to take Inuyasha through the proper procedures before you permanently tie him to you? My Lord I…that is, impregnating Inuyasha _before_ you've wooed him, are you sure that is a good course of action? To me at least Sire, it seems a little-"  
"-Backwards? Indeed, however, as I have said, I will give Inuyasha no opportunity to run away again," Sesshomaru interrupted him, moving towards the door, "I will secure him here, then I _may_ concern myself with his trifling needs and desires."

Takara sighed as he watched his lord follow after his brother leisurely, closing the door carefully behind him.  
"By the _gods_ that boy is as stubborn and infuriating as his father," he muttered affectionately, sitting back exhaustedly in the chair behind him, rolling his eyes with a hopeless smile.

Inuyasha tied the sheath of Tetsusaiga to his side, leaping through the foliage of the garden. It wasn't like before. He was under the influence of his 'cycle' (as everyone kept calling it). Even if Hikireimaru managed to find him again, he could take him this time; he didn't need protection – from anybody. "_You do not have anywhere to go back to."_ Sesshomaru's words, they still rang through his mind, piercing his chest with the heavy truth within them. "So…so I don't have anywhere to go," he muttered under his breath as he reached the castle walls, taking a few steps back, ready to clear them with one giant leap, "that doesn't mean I have to stay here and be his _bitch_…"

"You, stop right there!"

Inuyasha halted before his jump, looking back over his shoulder to see the small cluster of guards that had gathered behind him. Slowly they advanced. "_Inuyasha_, we have been given strict orders to not allow you to leave the grounds. You will step away from the walls and head back to the castle."

Inuyasha sneered. Maybe it was just being treated with uncommon chivalry and politeness for the last day or so rushing to his head, but the rudeness in the demon's voice was so prominent it just overtook him with visions of tearing the guy's _throat_ out. Or maybe (and more likely) it just had him feeling…_like a piece a crap_, his mind supplied.

"Oh, _his lordship_ wants me to stay? Well too bad, he ain't exactly the most welcoming host, and I ain't the most obliging of guests." Crouching his legs to make for the jump, Inuyasha leapt, just as the demons dived for him. "Ha! Stick that in your pipe and smoke it you damn– argh!" Inuyasha growled as one of the demons seized him round the ankle as he kicked off upwards from the ground, yanking him roughly back down, causing his back to make a harsh collision with the earth.

Crying out in pain, Inuyasha snarled, curling on the ground, swiping up a fistful of dirt and hurtling it in the offending demon's face. No sooner than he'd scrambled to his feet, he felt the pressing, desperate weight press against his lower back, crushing him into the hard, unforgiving ground.

"Since when do mangy _half_-breeds have the gall to refuse the hospitality of their betters? You'll never be anything more than the dirt under his boots, perhaps you should take what you can get."

Wincing as he felt his arm twisted back to prevent him moving, Inuyasha lay in the dirt, immobile, in pain, harsh fingers seizing his hair, keeping his head in place.

"And if my little brother were with child at this precise moment, how would you have phrased your apology to both him and myself, for potentially harming it?"

Inuyasha turned his head as best he could, growling in anger at finding Sesshomaru's feet planted beside his head. Even before his brother's words had finished passing his lips the demon-guards shuddered away, releasing their hold on Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru's golden gaze dropped to his brother, refraining from biting his lip. _Inuyasha's needs and desires,_ he thought, as he watched the demons back away from his little brother, watching their lord carefully for any signs of hostility. _He wants 'love', he wants comfort…like a child, he wants all these things, and I am supposed to offer them to him? Seduce him away from his foolish shyness and human morals…? But why bother, if I can just take what I want?_

Looking down to his brother still, Sesshomaru held out a hand uncharacteristically. Those eyes, the ones that betrayed every emotion even if no other part of him did, they were unsure, _distrustful_. Inuyasha looked up at him with those eyes, not moving, not sure whether-or-not to take that hand…

_Consider Inuyasha's feelings?_ His mind asked, repeating the hidden advice in Takara's words. He'd never considered anyone else's feelings, much less his despised baby brother's.

"Are you alright?" he asked stoically, his first attempt at 'considering Inuyasha's feelings'. A frown creased Inuyasha's brow, the strange, faint concern lingering in Sesshomaru's voice only serving to increase his suspicion. He edged backwards, wincing at the pain in his back as he stumbled to his feet.  
"You," Sesshomaru muttered coldly, rounding on the soldiers, "is this how you treat one of my guests?" They swallowed simultaneously, taking a few anxious steps back.  
"N-No, M-My Lord but you said to-"  
"-To stop him from leaving, not to slam his face into the dirt like a dog."

Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly, watching his brother advance on someone _besides_ himself for once, poison hissing menacingly at his fingertips. "_'Half-breed'_? Well allow me to re-educate you, my seemingly loyal followers. Even for a Half-demon he is of good breeding, he has _worth_, more so than some _full_ demons."

Sesshomaru blinked once, twice, he never was a man of words, so what was he to say to defend him, to make him feel better? Well he didn't know, all he knew was that his mouth was moving, words were coming out, and they were his own, but he could've sworn his rational mind wasn't in command of them. "You are the ones that are the dirt. He is your better, your Lord and you will respect him for it. If he orders you to jump, you ask how high? Am I in any way, _unclear_?" The last word was practically a growl, but it was perfectly comprehensible.

"I suppose you have not given adequate apology for your insolence either, have you?"

The demons raised slightly widened eyes to their lord, the horror at the thought of lowering themselves for a half-demon evident in their eyes.  
"We apologise, Lord Sesshomaru," they murmured humbly, lowering their eyes once more. Sesshomaru arced a brow expectantly.  
"To Lord Inuyasha, not to _me_, and quickly, before I lose my patience and offer him your lives in repentance instead."

Inuyasha frowned slightly, shifting uncomfortably. He could sense the fury at bowing for a half-demon – begging for forgiveness from a half-demon – he didn't want this. He didn't know what Sesshomaru thought he was doing but he didn't _want_ this – this retribution. Maybe once, but not anymore…at least, he didn't want _Sesshomaru_ to give him it…

"Sesshomaru?" The uncharacteristically small voice drew the Demon Lord's attention towards his little brother. "Stop trying to win me over, it ain't working. I don't care what they say or do. And I could care even less if they apologised."  
"Indeed," Sesshomaru responded emotionlessly, "but I care. It is a blatant disregard of my station as well as yours, Inuyasha."

But for once, Inuyasha remained silent, not retaliating to his words, seemingly lost in thought. Sesshomaru growled. A swift glare at the momentarily forgotten guards hastened the speed of their apology.  
"We apologise, _Lord Inuyasha,_ pl-please forgive…us…" Each word bore obvious force, resentful of the apology they were being forced to give.

"Very well, repeat this incident a second time and…well, I will leave the rest to your _limited_ imagination," the Demon Lord threatened, turning to face Inuyasha carelessly. "Now come, Inuyasha, you are hungry."

The Half-demon scowled. "Screw you, presumptuous bastard, telling me whether I'm hungry or not!"

Sesshomaru raised a brow, as his half-brother's words were punctuated by the treacherous rumbling of his empty stomach.  
"Indeed," he said with a smirk, gesturing Inuyasha back towards the castle. "You may try and escape all you wish, Inuyasha; I will merely stop you each time. However, it would be less foolish to attempt these futile escapes on a full stomach, would it not?"

Inuyasha flushed a little as his stomach made its second agreement to his brother's words. And it was Sesshomaru's castle wasn't it? Surely the food would be… He had to force himself to keep his mouth from watering at the thought….

_Geez,_ Inuyasha mentally griped, claws tapping impatiently on the long, narrow table, _is all this waiting around sitting pretty really worth some lousy food?_ Turning his head just slightly to gaze upon the Demon Lord situated to his right, (and at the top of the table) he rolled his eyes at his prim and proper posture, staring silently with a pensive look to his features. He couldn't _stand_ it! How could he sit there so – so damn patiently? And to be so tolerant of the senseless prattle of that chirpy human girl on the other side of him, her feet dancing underneath the table, and thumping happily against the legs of her chair – it was overwhelming. He had no idea his half-brother was so…so forbearing, particularly in light of the innumerable times he'd swiftly lost his patience with _him_.

"Lord Inuyasha?" she asked cheerfully, flashing him a goofily sincere grin, "Are you going to stay with us? I can show you the gardens – oh and you could come on my walks that Nannami makes me go on. Have you and Lord Sesshomaru decided not to fight from now on…?" The questions ranged further than he cared to listen, and not long after they began he began to block them out, her over-cheerfulness causing his fangs to grate irately against each other.

"Inuyasha."

The Half-demon turned to meet his brother's eyes in response to the calling of his name.

"Endeavour to answer Rin's questions, she is merely trying to welcome you."

A growl rumbled at the back of Inuyasha's throat. "Oh yeah? Well I-"  
"-Silence, the food has arrived," Sesshomaru cut across him. Immediately Inuyasha's mouth snapped shut, his nose twitching slightly as it took in the sweet scent of the approaching dishes. Resting his back against the chair, Inuyasha watched with wide, curious eyes as the servants served the meals to everyone at the table, starting with Sesshomaru and working their way down…

The first thing he noticed was that Rin's breakfast differed _vastly_ from that of everyone else's. Whereas raw meat and other assortments of demonic foods made up the other dishes, the girl's was comprised of portions of lightly flavoured rice and noodles, alongside carefully prepared fish. She smiled, looking faithfully to her lord, awaiting the signal to begin the meal (as did everybody else). With a slight not from Sesshomaru, all at the table reached for their chopsticks. All that is, apart from Inuyasha, who simply watched his dish with a diminutive frown – his servings were the same as Sesshomaru's. Raw foods and other unnameable victuals practically stared up at him with malice, taunting his growling stomach.

Raising his eyes slightly to Sesshomaru, Inuyasha noticed he hadn't noticed his plight, eyes lowered to his food, no sound passing his lips as he ate. Of _course_ Inuyasha knew demons ate raw food, he just didn't think Sesshomaru thought _he_ did. He was so hungry, he hadn't eaten anything for days now, and smelling as-well-as _seeing_ what made up the human's dish, he found himself forcing himself to tear his envious golden eyes away.

What was he supposed to do? Should he try and eat it? Tell Sesshomaru? _No_, his distrustful mind interrupted him, _this is all probably planned – knowing I'm starving and making me see, and smell but not allow me anything. That's just the type of asshole he is… _

Again, the emptiness in his stomach made itself known – and rather loudly at that, causing Sesshomaru to raise his eyes from the plate to look at his slightly crestfallen expression, along with the slightly wilting puppy ears. The Demon Lord lowered the mouthful he was about to consume, watching him with a raised brow.  
"Is there something wrong, Inuyasha?"  
"You _know_ what's damn well wrong; _preening old geezer_…" he muttered, almost inaudibly, looking slightly sorry for himself.  
"You are mistaken; I have no idea what you are talking about. Eat your meal and silence that unruly stomach of yours."

Flushing a little in embarrassment at the remark, Inuyasha turned his scowl on him. "Oh sure!" he retorted, his muttering rising rapidly to little less than a shout. "As if I can believe you had _no_ idea that half-demons can't eat the same food as demons. You damn _liar_, were you trying to kill me with all this raw meat and demonic crap?"

The Demon Lord looked a little taken aback with the accusation. "Do you mean to tell me you do not eat demon food?"

Inuyasha growled in frustration. "Well _duh_, I am half human too you know. How do you expect me to eat this _tripe_?"

Gesturing to the servant standing nearby, Sesshomaru ordered the unsuitable food out from under Inuyasha's nose, the servants seizing the food swiftly and disposing of it. However, that still left that nasty emptiness in Inuyasha's belly, and it made him whimper just a little.

Glancing up to note those curiously adorable ears adorning Inuyasha's silver head, Rin smiled cheerily once more, moving her bowl of noodles across the table towards Inuyasha shyly.  
"Here, My Lord, you can have some of mine," she offered, causing Inuyasha's ears to flick up in a mix interest and surprise, eyeing her with disbelief.  
"Y-You…you'll share with me?" he asked astonishment, receiving rapid, successive nods in answer. "Cool, err…thanks."

Rin's smile only widened as she watched him take the bowl, devouring the contents ravenously. _Maybe the Squirt ain't so bad after all…_

So preoccupied with satisfying his hunger, Inuyasha didn't notice the order whispered in the servant's ear by Sesshomaru, the woman hastily departing from sight – only when she returned, Inuyasha was surprised with his older brother's undiscovered generosity.  
"Here, Sire," the woman greeted warmly, placing assorted _human_ dishes before him. Raising his eyes in uncertain thankfulness to his brother, he quickly tore them away again as he realised he was staring. Inuyasha cleared his throat awkwardly, turning his attention (and his salivating, hungry mouth) to what he could _guess_ just by _looking_ would be one of the best things he'd ever tasted. Wouldn't he be surprised to find out how wrong he was?

It wasn't one of the best things he'd ever tasted – that didn't even _begin_ to describe it. It was the most mouth-wateringly delicious thing he'd ever had in his mouth, bettering even Kagome's cooking (though he hated to admit it). So much so, he had to restrain himself from carelessly sloppy eating, mentally correcting himself as he practically dived into his bowl, figuring his _'eating habits'_ didn't have to be another thing his brother picked at him about.

An almost inaudible, sigh of contentment passed the Half-demon's lips as he finished the meal, his (still very sore) back resting against the chair. That curious gaze darted over the grand room, noting the luxuriously dressed walls and windows, the way the light of the early sun illuminated his older brother's silvery tresses and porcelain skin. Did he look like that in the early-morning sun as well, he wondered absently? Utterly embarrassed at realising his thoughts, his question was partially answered when he caught Sesshomaru's eyes unintentionally, that familiar gaze from the night before fixed on him, the same lustful fire brewing within golden depths. _I wish he'd stop staring at me,_ he thought bashfully, fiddling distractedly with his kimono sleeves.

"Will you stop staring at me like I have two heads?" he admonished suddenly, the feigned frustration there mostly to disguise his embarrassment at being stared at.

"Indeed, I am sorry I offended. Although I would've expected the notion of capturing my attention so strongly would flatter you…"

Inuyasha scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, anxious to be up on his feet now that the meal was over and not in this uncomfortable position under Sesshomaru's scrutinising gaze, and the judging stares of the servants and guards and the table…

"Will you accompany me, Inuyasha?"

The Half-demon looked confused as he brother rose to his feet beside him, beckoning him to follow as he started towards the door. Had Sesshomaru just _asked_ him to do something? As opposed to _ordering_ him? What the hell was going on? Apparently Sesshomaru rising was the signal for the others that they could leave, as the hall slowly started emptying of its occupants, Rin hopping down happily from her seat, and practically prancing out the door after Nannami. Yet Inuyasha had frozen, transfixed by his brother's rapid change-of-heart.

_He's up to something,_ he thought sceptically, _there's no way he's being so…so nice for no reason… First outside, with the guards, then with the breakfast, and now asking me something… There's something not right here…_

TBC

A/N: Ne? What ya think? To the people who were confused as to Sesshomaru and Inuyasha being mated just because they had sex, I hope this chapter cleared that up - naughty sesshomaru was lying when he told Inuyasha they were mates just because of that - another attempt on keeping Inuyasha 'under control'. Enjoy and review!

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	6. They'll Never See

Author's Note:

There is again, another sex scene in this chapter, if you are old enough and wish to read it WITH the sex scene, see the link on my profile for my account. Hope you enjoy otherwise!

**Chapter Six  
They'll Never See**

_Sesshomaru growled in aggravation, clawed fingers clenching tightly on the glass he held in his hand, sipping from it only in hopes of drowning out the ceaseless noise of these insipid demonesses. These gatherings, they were the few times he wished for the weak tolerance for alcoholic beverages mortals had, perhaps whilst drunk, he'd find their senseless prattle more amusing – then again, he doubted that…_

These senseless, foolish women, _he thought exhaustedly. Never had he longed for his bed so. Demons could go for days without sleep, but these females…they were so…exhausting, them and their irritating, over-ambitious parents._

_"How do you find the 'game' as far as mating is concerned, Lord Sesshomaru?" asked the abrupt Demon Lord, from the neighbouring lands that stood at his side. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, just a little, inwardly sighing at that slip of his usually cool exterior.  
"You speak of potential mates as if they are but animals, Lord Hachirou?"_

_Hachirou offered him a concealing smile. "Truly, you find nothing, even amongst all the beautiful heirs here?"_

_Sesshomaru had to fight not to roll his eyes a second time. It was the same old song grating at his sensitive nerves. At every chance, those irritating lords tried to push off their heirs, male as-well-as female to him as potential mates. Not for the first nor last time, did he question their sanity._

_Did they think he was stupid? All of them merely wanted their children mated to him to gain a claim on his lands, and to have some form of treaty of the Western lands, not only for protection, but for strength if war should break out as well. He may be young (as far as demons went) but he was his father's son in the sense that he knew how these lands were to be run. And the way they thrust their mindless brats upon him…it made his blood boil to think they assumed they could manipulate him this way, if he did not require their alliance (for good allies they were during this warring era), he would have slain them for their insolence._

_"I do not believe it is the first time I have told you, as well as everyone here," Sesshomaru replied impassively, gesturing vaguely about the crowds of this year's midsummer's eve gathering. "I have no interest in acquiring a mate. I have no need for one. I will not be cut down like some crop in a field – there is_ no one _stronger than I, so therefore I have no need for heirs. As for my other 'needs', there are many who would gladly aid me in that matter when I require it, and demand no more than sexual gratification in return. So you see, yet again, Lord Hachirou, this Sesshomaru does not need a 'life-long' partner, much less one of_ these _simpering pups."_

_Lord Hachirou simply offered the young demon lord a smile, to which merely Sesshomaru turned away from. He couldn't bear that look, the look he knew all too well. This particular demon had offered him the choice out of all his children – two daughters and four sons. None were lacking in any way, (in fact one of the daughters was dazzling) he just didn't _want _any of them._

_"Not even Ran? She took particular interest in you, My Lord."_

_Sesshomaru scoffed at the notion. "All women take particular interest in me, Lord Hachirou," he answered bluntly, taking another sip from his glass. "Your daughter's attention is insignificant. Will you excuse me for just one moment?" The Demon Lord asked, though not waiting for an answer before whisking away from the other lord's side._

_He was in no mood for this. _I tire of these frivolous gathering and guests, _he thought, evading many more attempts of the said guests to engage him in so much more than just conversation and stepping outside onto the balcony, welcoming the cool quiet of the night air._

_Lord Sesshomaru sighed as he rested his arms on the ledge of the balcony, gazing distantly at the beautiful wilderness of the forest just beyond the castle grounds. The sight of the trees evoked that familiar vague wondering of his half brother. What would he be doing right now? He smirked._ Probably at that mortal priestess' beck and call, _he thought, tearing his mind from the half-demon he hadn't seen in quite a while…_

Maybe I should consider finding a mate at some point, _he thought resolutely, _if only to attain some form of peace at these meetings…I cannot endure any more of these ridiculous festivities… 

_He knew full well this gathering was meant to signify fertility in already mated couples, to celebrate unions and engagements, in some cases even births. But for those like himself, without a mate, this extravagant congregation was the opportunity to flaunt themselves to the best of their ability, and find the best mate possible. _No,_ he corrected himself, _with Naraku still alive, there is no time to ponder such ideals, perhaps, when he is destroyed, I can allow myself to consider it. 

_"Lord Sesshomaru?"_

_The Demon inclined his head slightly to look upon the small human girl at his side, that trademark smile easing his raging mind a little. "What is it, Rin?"_

_Her smile broadened as she raised the corners of her beautifully embroidered silk kimono, curtseying to him politely. "You may depart whenever you wish to, Rin, I realise this evening may not be the most engaging of activities for you."_

_She shook her head, still wearing that smile. "No, not at all my Lord, it is so interesting to meet all these new people, and everyone has been very kind to me."_

_Sesshomaru quirked a brow at that. "Have they indeed?" he asked, not truly believing it. What demon would be so gracious to a human girl? "Come Rin, let us head back inside," he gestured to the shoji screens, following her slowly as they headed back into the din. This would be a_ long _night…_

Inuyasha watched the back of his brother curiously, apprehensive of where this sudden _niceness_ was leading, not to mention _where_ Sesshomaru was leading him altogether. He'd reluctantly followed at his request, though hadn't really given much thought to 'why'. In actuality, he was still slightly dazed from the throbbing pain in his back (not to mention his backside).

"Sesshomaru, what the hell do you want? Do you really have to lead me all over the damn castle?"

At the evident irritation (and mild pain) in the Half-demon's voice, Sesshomaru turned, opening the door they suddenly found themselves at, gesturing Inuyasha inside. But Inuyasha didn't move.

"I do not intend to speak with you out in the halls like some servant. Do you really wish to advertise our 'situation' to everyone in this castle?"

Inuyasha snorted, arms retreating to the comforting folds of his kimono sleeves, as he grudgingly shuffled inside the new room.

It smelt of Sesshomaru. He didn't even raise his eyes to look around the room before the potent scent of his older brother hit him. The door closed behind him as Sesshomaru followed him in, waiting behind him, almost expectantly. He was so close that Inuyasha could feel his brother's breath steaming over his ears, which twitched in response to the small breeze. Raising his eyes at last, the Half-demon swallowed hard.

This room, evidently one of the largest within the castle walls, was ornately dressed, painfully detailed wall-hangings and paintings hung upon the walls, and carefully crafted shutters lay open at the large windows, allowing the slightly dazzling sunlight to swim into the room. But what captured his attention the most was the _'centre piece' _(and the focal point) of the room – the bed. _Bed?_ His mind practically yelped, _a bed? That's not a bed! I've seen whole rooms smaller than that monster of a piece of furniture!_

And he'd thought the one in 'his' room was grand, this was twice the size! Elegant sashes and rich bed clothing were just the icing-on-the-cake. Compared to the cold hard, unforgiving forest floor or the odd lumpy, uncomfortable futon he'd occasionally been allowed, this was extravagance._ Oh, gee, I wonder whose room this is,_ he thought sarcastically, turning to face his brother, one of those sinisterly pleasant looking smirks twitching at the said demon lord's graceful lips.

"Do you like what you see, Little brother?"

Inuyasha raised a brow in disbelief. "Whatever, Jackass," he grumbled.

Suddenly, his ears perked in abrupt realisation. "Hey, if that room we were in last night was supposed to be mine – chosen by the Old-man before I was born and all that; why the heck did it smell of you?"

Sesshomaru stared at him blankly, as if he hadn't spoken, but Inuyasha knew that look for what it was, he'd been caught out.

The silence fell stagnant, the impassive process of thought touching Sesshomaru's face, as the sun's rays escaped in through the windows to caress those features that were usually so stern and unfeeling. _It might be just me,_ thought Inuyasha, his mind drifting slightly, _but in this light, he looks almost…nice…_

"I visit those chambers every day," the Demon Lord finally answered, his heavy gaze never tearing from his little brother's eyes. "Whether its my conscience seeking to alleviate some of my…guilt…or…wondering how things would have been if you had taken up your position here at my side…I often find myself in that room, just thinking."

Inuyasha frowned a little. "Why?"  
"As I have already said, I am not sure 'why'."  
"Keh, I thought you knew _everything_," the Half-demon taunted, folding his arms over his chest, distinctly not meeting his brother's eyes. He was being too accommodating, too open and…_nice_. Inuyasha didn't know why it was happening, but he couldn't trust him. Sesshomaru, he'd always been a bastard to him, but aside from that, he'd always told the truth, and now all of a sudden he was being so…so devious and scheming. Was this _really_ the same brother he'd known all these years? And if so…why was he so…different? What had happened in these last few months since the defeat of Naraku?

Drawn from his thoughtfulness as Sesshomaru moved suddenly, the Half-demon watched as his older brother moved past him swiftly, shuddering as clawed fingers drifted deliberately against his side. Such little contact sent shivers over his skin. Spinning on his heel indignantly, a little growl of annoyance at the casual contact rose from Inuyasha's throat, his golden eyes watching Sesshomaru warily as the Demon Lord sat on the edge of the bed.

He just couldn't figure him out! First he was the cool, harsh demon he'd always known and feared him for, then some lustful pervert, and now this? So quiet and complacent? So deceivingly honest? There was _definitely_ something wrong here. Sesshomaru was up to something, and he knew _exactly_ what that something was…

A lump rose in Inuyasha's throat as his half-brother gestured to the space beside him on the bed, evidently wishing for him to sit there, but he remained unmoved.  
"Get it over with already," Inuyasha griped, slightly uncomfortable with standing there, in Sesshomaru's bedchambers, under that heavy gaze. "What the hell do you want? Tell me so I can get going."  
"Regarding that," Sesshomaru replied, "I wish to come to some arrangement with you."

Inuyasha growled. "Screw you; I ain't being your lap-dog if _that's_ what you had in mind! There's no way in the seven hells I'm staying here with _you_!" That forebodingly amused smirk met the Demon Lord's lips, and Inuyasha swallowed hard. Why wasn't Sesshomaru reacting to his words?

"Indeed, however, you will listen to my proposition before you set your mind against it."

Inuyasha huffed, there was the old Sesshomaru – ordering his will to be done instead of asking.

"It has recently come to light, just how difficult your struggles in simply surviving, and growing up in solitude must have been for you-"  
"-Keh, gimme a break, you knew _exactly_ what kind of life I would've had if you hadn't taken me in – and yet, guess what? You left me _anyway_, sonofa-"  
"-Regardless, I had not imagined your mortal mother's pathetic relatives would have disowned you after her death, I had not quite anticipated the humans' cruelty, and yet, I must admit, at that time, I did not care."

Inuyasha watched him with suspicion and disbelief. "Whatever, so you're saying now you do all of a sudden? Well what a coincidence that this sudden guilt-trip comes hand-in-hand with the realisation of my 'abilities' as every keeps calling them."

Sesshomaru smirked a little at that, his brother was more perceptive than he'd recalled, yet he was still off-the-mark.  
"Quite the contrary, and in any case, I would not call it _'guilt'_ as such…more…regret. More to the point, I have consequently come to the understanding you are not as weak, nor as tainted by your mortal blood as I first assumed. You have much more worth and strength than I anticipated."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "That supposed to be flattery? 'Cause maybe on you it ain't all that different-"  
"-My point is, Inuyasha, that by proving yourself to _me_ – your only surviving relative, combined with your _maturing_, you are able to inherit your share of Father's assets."

Inuyasha scoffed at that. "Whatever, we _both_ know that as the second son I don't get jack-shit unless you die. Not to _mention_ the only 'assets' the Old-man left behind for me were Tetsusaiga and the fire-rat kimono he gave my mother – that's _all_."

His insides boiled with fresh anger and resentment, all this, it just reminded him, not for the first time that he'd never even _met _his father, this misfortune, one of the deeper running wounds that lay within him. Everyone knew of 'The Great Demon Lord' and his 'honourable ruling', all his servants of old knew his face, and past, but Inuyasha – his own _son_ knew next to nothing about him aside from the elaborate tales his mother told him as a child.

Save for that brief glimpse back at the time he and Sesshomaru had battled together against Takemaru and the Sou'unga, he'd never even recalled his father's face or voice. _Sesshomaru always had more than me, he had acceptance, respect, a childhood…even time with our father, which I wasn't blessed with… _How was that fair? Who decided one son of the same father should be favoured in life more than the other? The bitterness burned in his chest as he turned to leave, growling low in his throat when his brother's hand caught his wrist, pulling him back towards him.

"Let go of me!"  
"You are wrong, Inuyasha. Even as a worthless, vulnerable life inside that mortal wench's womb had more of Father's love than I _ever_ had – Do you honestly believe he would leave me to inherit _everything_ whilst you had nothing? Do not be so ridiculous."  
"I don't give a crap! Get off-"  
"-You have a position as assisting ruler, including a place in this castle, the wealth of father's estate as well as his riches, and a say in how these lands are run."

Inuyasha was still unsure, his eyes still observing him with distrust as he fought to wrench his wrist free from Sesshomaru's grasp. Sesshomaru growled threateningly, seizing both wrists firmly, yanking him down so Inuyasha's face was a mere hairs-breadth from his.

"You think me a liar? Father committed these wishes to parchment when he realised your conception had occurred, it lies in Takara's safe-keeping, you may look upon it should it ease your suspicions."

Inuyasha answered those words with a snarl of his own, swiping at his brother with his restrained hands in attempts for freedom. "I don't _care_-"  
"-You have no place to go besides here, and did you not say it yourself? That this castle was just as much yours as mine? Why the sudden change of heart?"  
"Because you fucking _raped_ me!"  
"Do not accuse me of such things…you were begging for completion last night."

Inuyasha averted his eyes at the truth in those words. He yelped as Sesshomaru seized his chin, forcing him to look at him. "That is it look away, look away from things because you cannot handle them. _Understand,_ Inuyasha. You were the bottom for your brother, like some wanton whore, and you _enjoyed_ it. So _accept_ it."  
"Stop it!"  
"You need to hear the truth-"  
"-Keh, _'the truth'_? From _you_? Don't make me laugh."  
"I do not wish to fight with you any longer, I refuse to continue in the same circles with you, Inuyasha-"  
"-Then let me _go_!"  
"You have yet to hear my proposition," the Demon Lord continued, still holding Inuyasha's wrists captive.

"You have a place here. You are _needed_ here. Where else can you say you have that?"

Again, that indignant growl rumbled in Inuyasha's throat. "And I bet you're gunna tell me exactly what I'm needed for ain't ya?"  
"Why dignify that with an answer when you already know?"  
"Stop answering my questions with more questions!"  
"I want you to stay here."  
"This is just some ornate plan to get your end away! Not to mention getting your own _brother_ up-the-duff!"

Inuyasha yelped as Sesshomaru jerked him downwards fangs bared, descending rapidly on Inuyasha's throat, clawed hands pinning the Half-demon to his back on the bed.

"You ungrateful _whelp_," the Demon growled, tugging on Inuyasha's hair and exposing his throat to graze his fangs menacingly over the lightly trembling flesh. "I consider your ridiculous human morals, and your 'feelings', even defend you and _this_ is how you act? I offered you everything and you refuse?"

Inuyasha struggled more desperately as he watched crimson fury flow into those eyes, demonic huskiness tainting the usually smooth, cool voice.

"_'Defend me'_?" he repeated in disbelief, despite his predicament, "You mean what happened with those demon guards? You think I _care_ about them? I've dealt with that shit every day of my life; I don't _care_ about what they said or did. I'm used to that crap!"

Sesshomaru tilted his head to look up at him, golden eyes still bearing the visible tint of dangerous red. "All the more reason you should accept your position here," he responded, slightly softer than before, "as my mate. Who would dare submit you to such torment again?"

_This is tiresome,_ Sesshomaru thought hazily, trying to battle back his demonic blood, that was enticed by the position this delicate little morsel was in, the blood crying out in hunger for another taste of that blissful oblivion of the night before. His instincts wanted Inuyasha, _he_ wanted Inuyasha, but to simply hold him down and take him… _That would be imprudent,_ his rational mind supplied, gradually losing control as it watched the boy's chest rise and fall with rapid, slightly panicked breaths.

Sesshomaru's blood rushed to his loins. Takara's latest advice wasn't that easy to follow – Trying to coerce Inuyasha into his bed and his life as opposed to ordering him into it was proving…difficult. How was he supposed to get by with just asking Inuyasha to do things when he knew all too well Inuyasha wouldn't _do_ them? He _hated_ this. He was Lord Sesshomaru, he shouldn't be (and never _had_ been up until now) this confused. He couldn't order him to do things, he couldn't _ask_ him to do things. What was left?

"Do not try and tell me you do not want _everything_ I have offered you since you have come here," Sesshomaru muttered against his cheek, grazing light touches of his mouth over it, before licking him swiftly. Inuyasha flinched at the movement. "Who else would offer you these things? Your priestess? She is _gone_, Inuyasha, but you are going to live forever, why not do it in comfort, hn?"

Inuyasha couldn't help that trembling whimper that escaped his lips, as that tongue traced over his skin tenderly, delicately touching the place where his normal human's ears _would_ have been, before capturing his agitated downy puppy-ear between his lips. For one fleeting moment, Inuyasha's head tilted into the caress of his lips, that tongue darting out once more, teasing the silky rim of the ear, before delving into the soft pinkness.

As if coming to his senses, the Half-demon flinched again at the sinful pleasure, trying to turn away from the touches. Clawed fingers stroked down his stomach, risking a soft touch of his crotch and causing that frame to arc upwards off the plush bedding.

Suddenly, as those hips lifted off the sheets in that brief moment of bliss, Sesshomaru flipped the unsuspecting Half-demon over onto his belly, and seizing his arms before he could gather himself.  
"W-What the fu-"  
"-You were starting to enjoy yourself, were you not, _Little brother?_" he practically purred in that now slightly damp ear, snatching one of the sashes that bound one of the drapes to the bedpost and binding Inuyasha's trapped hands together behind his back. The Younger brother's eyes widened in horror as he struggled maddeningly to tear himself out from under Sesshomaru.

"G-Get off me!" he screamed out, heart thudding in his chest in panic. Staring down with lustful eyes once Inuyasha's hands were bound, a quiet, oddly soothing purr rumbling in Sesshomaru's chest, as clawed hands drifted down Inuyasha's tense back.

"Why so fearful Inuyasha? I am not going to hurt you."  
"I'm not scared, you ass!"

Sesshomaru ignored the lie, leaning down to brush the silver tresses from his brother's face in a considerately affectionate sweeping motion. "Was I not a gentle lover to you yesterday, Inuyasha?" he asked, watching the frantic blush dust over the half-demon's cheeks. "I certainly sated those virgin desires of yours. I will have you cry out innumerable times before we are done…over…and over again…"

Inuyasha struggled to move his head, his left cheek pressed against the silk bed-linen as he awaited an opportunity to get free. Every muscle in his body bunched in apprehension of those annoyingly tantalising touches, the clawed fingers of his brother reaching round him, a wince touching his features as those fingers grasped his semi-erection through the material of his hakama, gently pulling them down to his knees.

"NO!" Inuyasha cried out, voice tainted with humiliation. "STOP IT!"

Sesshomaru watched his body thrash about, stirring the detached desire to comfort. Reaching down, he ran his fingers down over Inuyasha's spine in slow strokes, the other hand tracing subtle caresses up the Half-demon's throat, stroking his chin gently. He didn't say anything. He'd quickly begun to realise when he spoke, he only served to rouse Inuyasha to violence once more, even if that hadn't been the intention. Why was he doing this? Why did he care if Inuyasha was scared? He should just take him, like his demon blood was demanding, not trying to ease him into intercourse like some blushing virgin.

Inuyasha's body settled back into the sheets, his breathing and heartbeat still rapid, both throbbing in Sesshomaru's ears. The Demon leant down, brushing oddly tender kisses at the nape of the Half-demon's neck. Sesshomaru couldn't help but allow the smile to twitch at the corners of his mouth, as Inuyasha leant in slightly to the fingers caressing his chin. _No doubt that insatiable desire for affection he seems to harbour,_ Sesshomaru's mind suggested, smoothing his free hand over his brother's shoulders and bringing the red haori and white kosode down to bunch at his shoulders.

Descending onto his brother's mouth, he turned Inuyasha's face to meet his, brushing kisses to slightly parted lips. Smoothing an enticing stroke of his tongue over Inuyasha's dormant one, he coerced him to respond, feeling both their skin flushing hotly as they tasted each other leisurely, Inuyasha offering small, strangled whimpers against the kisses every now and then.

Inuyasha had lost himself again. He'd lost that battle of his own morals against that overpowering arousal and breathy call to taste what Sesshomaru had to offer. Was it so sinful, to want those things? Sesshomaru had, (perhaps inadvertently) chosen phrasing which made it plausible for Inuyasha to accept, more probably just to persuade Inuyasha to do so, but nevertheless, he'd said things…things that made the Half-demon's heart call out, things that made it that much more harder for Inuyasha to refuse.

So lost to the throes of passion, Inuyasha didn't even react to his brother's hands releasing his own from their bindings, except to wrench them away from his back as soon as they were free and wrap them around his brother's neck with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.

Snaking an arm round his baby brother's waist, Sesshomaru held him to his body as he sat back on his backside, bringing Inuyasha to sit over his hips. The fire-rat kimono and the rest of Inuyasha's clothes shuddered free of his form, his flesh vulnerable to Sesshomaru's ardent caresses. Breaking their kiss, Sesshomaru laid soft nips over the Half-demon's collarbone, latching onto the side of his throat and sucking gently. Releasing his hold on the skin, he pulled back to admire the love-bite, his hands moving up to skim his thumbs teasingly over rosy nipples.

_What am I doing?_ Inuyasha thought, groaning shamelessly, even though inside his heart ached. _What am I __**doing**__?_ He wanted it, he didn't know why but he wanted it – _everything_ Sesshomaru was offering, he wanted it all so badly, so why did it have to feel so…_wrong_? What was he supposed to do? Accept this and ignore the pain? Or say no, and leave? He wasn't sure. He just wished Kagome was here to make him feel better. Then again, if this was Kagome, this wouldn't be happening. Kagome always considered his feelings, even when she knew little about them. She did everything to make him happy, even if it left her with nothing. Sesshomaru wasn't like that. The selfish Demon Lord wanted what he wanted, and though of late he'd been showing slight interest in Inuyasha's welfare, his own self was the first priority. But Sesshomaru…he was showing him consideration, even _affection_ now, wasn't he?

For this brief moment, he wished he wasn't so aware of his brother's darker intentions, he wished he could believe the lies and give in...

Seeing this insatiable appetite in his usually violent younger sibling was invigorating, it sent shivers over his usually unaffected flesh to hear, smell and see the effects arousal had on him. None of his partners had ever shown such hunger for more and yet such reluctance to begin with. Edging backwards out from under Inuyasha, Sesshomaru left the Half-demon standing on his knees on the bed, those eyes opening slowly, hazy gold watching him with half-hearted abandonment.

"Do not observe me with such hurt, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru growled softly, raising his arms slightly to free his brother's torso of his kimono. Suddenly, Inuyasha's eyes widened, as his arms refused to obey his mind, and return to their awkward place at his side. His head shot up, gazing with shaky trepidation at the bonds that suspended from somewhere beyond the dark canopy over the bed, binding his arms over his head. Sesshomaru had tied him up.

The next few moments were a blur, obscured by blinding stars that dazed his mind. When finally he spiralled back down to the present world, he found himself pressed against his naked brother's body, head resting weakly against that sweaty chest, as his hoarse breathing slowed eventually back to a stable pace.

It took him a moment to comprehend the soft movements of Sesshomaru's clawed fingers sifting through his hair, occasionally pausing to stroke the neglected ears. It was so strange. He could close his eyes right now, listening to the dull thud of Sesshomaru's heartbeat, and he could almost completely detach from the rest of the world, he could almost be…happy.

Watching those eyelids flutter shut, Sesshomaru smirked, leaning in on instinct, brushing his lips against Inuyasha's forehead in a barely there gesture. He didn't know why he'd done it, but it was done, and he couldn't take it back. In any case, Inuyasha seemed to…_like_ it, nuzzling his head up into the touch unconsciously, as he drifted into a light doze. And his scent, it had never been so…so calm. How could such a little energetic, violent Half-breed suddenly become so…relaxed and placid? It puzzled the Demon Lord whose arms he lay in.

"You are a perplexing one, Inuyasha…" Sesshomaru muttered inaudibly, more to himself than Inuyasha, "You act so opposed to being here, with me, and yet…I believe you are beginning to like the idea a little more…" Brushing the rebellious hair from those weary eyes, the Demon Lord frowned slightly. Inuyasha looked so much more appealing when that usual scowl wasn't ruining his youthful face, the handsome features that (unlike his) had not hardened into stern, mature beauty, still maintained their glow of adorable innocence, despite the horrors he'd seen.

Allowing the Half-demon his brief rest, Sesshomaru fell into pensiveness, pondering Takara's advice and where it had led him thus far. Inuyasha had _said_ he didn't care about the courtesy and kindness he'd been shown, but then again, that telltale embarrassed flush had said otherwise. He'd appreciated it, it was clear now. That strong pride (a family trait) hadn't allowed him to admit it, but it was evident all over his face and scent, and in those treacherous eyes. Though he'd doubted _why_ Sesshomaru had done it, he'd relished in it all the same.

_But to 'court' or 'woo' him as such, that would be more difficult,_ thought the Demon Lord distantly, _he is so pernickety, so paranoid. However, Takara has yet to let me down; it would be prudent to heed his advice. But where to begin? I suppose, I would use the same traditions of 'courting' as have always been used, and just pray Inuyasha does not take offence to any of them…_

"Come, Inuyasha, do not fall asleep."

Inuyasha winced, yawning widely, but not moving, or opening his eyes, just grumbling something incoherent under his breath, which Sesshomaru was _sure_ was some form of obscenity.

"Get – Will you get up, Inuyasha?" The Demon Lord asked, catching himself before he unthinkingly barked out another order. Perhaps it worked, as Inuyasha mumbled louder, opening his eyes, and staring hazily up at him.  
"Huh? Are you kidding me? I'm shattered…" he muttered, closing his eyes once more.  
"There will be time for sleep later. I have many things to show you today, lounging in the bed will not do. Now, will you get up?"

Inuyasha growled, rising grudgingly to his backside, watching him with a scowl. He wanted to sleep. He eyed Sesshomaru as the Demon got up swiftly, moving over to the wash-basin and washing swiftly. Seized fresh clothing from the side he pulled them on deftly.

"Maybe you should tell me where we're going first," Inuyasha began drowsily, "if I don't like it, I can just go back to sleep."

Sesshomaru smirked, his back to the Half-demon as he tied the sash quickly.  
"Do not be so ridiculous, you will like it, I assure you." He paused then, turning to face his little brother, who was still very naked on the now soiled bedding. "Do you find the bed to your satisfaction?"

Inuyasha cocked his head in bewilderment. "Huh? Oh, I suppose, it's big…" he replied quietly, still half-asleep, "it's softer than any crappy old futon or _tree_ I've ever slept on in any case."  
"One would anticipate that; it was expensive enough, after all," Sesshomaru divulged, walking over to him slowly.

"I should imagine you would enjoy a 'lie-in', would you not?"

Inuyasha's ears perked, his suddenly childish features betraying his thoughts.

"If you come with me," Sesshomaru continued, "you may sleep in tomorrow morning as long as you wish, would that please you?"

A hint of the beginnings of a smile tinted the edges of the Half-demon's mouth, before he scowled again, suspicion crossing his features. "Hang on, this is _your_ bed, if I sleep here, you're gonna-"  
"-I will not take you, nor will I attempt any form of intimacy with you again, Inuyasha, not until you ask it of me." To this, Inuyasha frowned even more.  
"Huh?"

Sesshomaru held back a smirk, his little brother's confusion was…almost sweet.  
"I will not touch you in that way until you ask, I promise you."

Slowly, the frown receded from those features, and Inuyasha got to his feet hazily, making his way over to the wash-basin. Standing back to admire the unknowing Half-demon's nakedness, Sesshomaru gazed at honey-hued flesh as the water caressed away the sweat and evidence of sex.

"Hey," Inuyasha muttered suddenly, breaking the silence with his unusually soft voice, as he continued to wash himself shyly. "Do you people have lunch round this place? A guy could starve around here."

The Demon Lord merely smirked at the soft gruffness in that statement, Inuyasha was just pushing his luck to see if Sesshomaru would comply with his wishes as he'd previously promised, or if he'd just revert back to being (to use Inuyasha's words) 'a heartless bastard'.

"Indeed we do, however we have lunch sent up, what would you like me to request for you?"

Inuyasha turned to face him, drying himself on the towel provided – _conveniently_ covering his _assets. _  
"I can have anything?" he asked in disbelief, as if it wasn't true. Sesshomaru nodded slightly, quite enjoying the childish delight that glowed within Inuyasha's eyes.  
"Anything you want."  
"Can I think about it for a minute?" asked Inuyasha, attempting to test his brother's level of patience.  
"Of course, take as long as you like, but after you eat, we have things to do, if that suits?" He asked, uncharacteristically considerate.

Inuyasha still seemed sketchy about being _asked_, but nevertheless he nodded, pulling back on his fire-rat kimono as quick as he could, trying to reduce the amount of time Sesshomaru got to stare at him in.

Sesshomaru, meanwhile, was oddly…_satisfied_ and even _pleased_ with the results of his own rapid change in behaviour. Inuyasha hadn't overreacted after they'd copulated, he hadn't screamed obscenities at him, or tried to run, and best of all, Sesshomaru hadn't needed to resort to _physically_ restraining him, not once. Just by offering Inuyasha a say in what happened, and some form of comfort, he'd got his cooperation. He thought he could get used to this, although, he just _knew_ he'd regret that promise of 'no rutting until Inuyasha asked for it', he had that horrible feeling he'd be resorting to the comfort of his own hand more than once before this painful 'wooing' process was over.

TBC

A/N: Sorry about that beginning bit, just thought I should show a little of that, you'll understand eventually ^_^ Neways, I hope you're enjoying my story still, and liked the smutt (muhahahahahha) well, pretty much everyone wanted more, so I'm giving you more...oh so much more XD And yes, I am hyper. This lemon was a little darker than my last, but not much more so, i hope everyone liked it 0_0 Review me to let me know! *hugs you all*

Meanings:  
Hachirou - Lord Hachirou is a demon lord from some neighbouring land in this fic. He may appear again btw. Its solely male name. His name is From Japanese 八 (hachi) "eight" and 郎 (rou) "son".  
Ran - She may appear at some point just to be an ass and stir things. 'Ran' Means "Orchid" In Japanese - this name is considered to be a male and female name.

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	7. I'll Never Be

Author's Note:  
I am uploading two chapters today to make up for missing one last week ^_^ Enjoy!

**Chapter Seven  
I'll Never Be…**

Sesshomaru couldn't help but allow a small smirk to play at his lips as he watched the youthful excitement on Inuyasha's face. He never would've guessed something as simple as food would please him so much. Yet he here he was, watching Inuyasha gaze down at the tray-full of _disgracefully_ well-prepared foods, as if not quite believing it was there.

"Do you intend to eat that, Little Brother? Or did you request it merely for show?" Sesshomaru asked, his own mouthful of food paused in his chopsticks halfway between his mouth and the plate.

His brother's voice summoning him back from his dazed state, Inuyasha looked at him a moment, before gazing back at the meal. "Geez, how much do you _pay_ your cooks? I've never seen so much good food…"  
"Indeed, well I imagine it tastes a great deal better than it looks, you should eat it before it gets cold."

As if that realisation just hit him, the Inuyasha seized his chopsticks, practically diving into the large bowl of noodles.

It was the first time Sesshomaru had had the…_pleasure_ of seeing (and _hearing_) Inuyasha eat in his usual manner. Slightly startling chomping and swallowing noises sounded in Sesshomaru's ears, and yet again, his food stopped short of his mouth as he watched his little brother. The first of the noodles went down in one almost single motion – before Sesshomaru could finish his single suspended bite in fact. It was…_alarming_ how quickly Inuyasha could eat. It took a moment of wolfing down his dishes to realise he was being watched.

Swallowing his current mouthful, Inuyasha raised his eyes to his half-brother in silent question.  
"Would it not be more satisfying if you savoured the taste a little more?" suggested the Demon Lord. "You will upset your stomach if you continue in this manner."

Inuyasha raised a dark eyebrow. "What's the matter? My eating habits not 'proper' enough for you?"

Sesshomaru managed to suppress an irritated growl. He understood the concept of the Half-demon testing the boundaries of this new _'relationship',_ but this was getting ridiculous. _Or perhaps,_ he thought, _this is his usual manner of eating, and what I witnessed earlier was simply an act… That_ seemed plausible; after all, he couldn't have hoped that that mortal wench Izayoi would've taught the boy a simple thing such as table manners. _Indeed, obviously that was too great a task…_

After mentally reprimanding himself for insulting Inuyasha's mother, (forcing himself to note that insulting her wouldn't sit well, nor help towards _wooing_ his potential mate), Sesshomaru sighed softly, already exhausted. "That is not what I meant, Inuyasha, you may eat however you wish. I was merely referring to the fact that the food might be a little more satisfying should you eat it a little slower, that is all."

Inuyasha looked thoughtful for a moment. He hadn't _actually_ intended to offend Sesshomaru (for once); he'd just been so delighted at having so much wonderful food in front of him he'd quite forgot himself. Though, at least his brother wasn't being scornful of his _'eating habits'._

Opening his mouth to apologise, Inuyasha recalled just _who_ this was, and his lips promptly sealed once more. He wasn't giving Sesshomaru any respect, not _just_ yet…

"Do you seriously _eat_ that crap?" Inuyasha asked after a short silence, referring to his half-brother's raw dish.  
"Indeed. All demons do."

Inuyasha shuddered, rousing an intrigued smirk from Sesshomaru.

"How do you know it is so repulsive if you have never tried it? Your blood is demon too, is it not? I imagine your lean body could use the necessary nutrients it has been starved of all these years."

The Half-demon eyed him sceptically, as if he were attempting to convince him poison was beneficial to his diet.

Trying to contain his amusement at the childish curiosity spread across his brother's features, Sesshomaru caught the small chunk of raw meat with his chopsticks, holding it towards Inuyasha's mouth. A small awkward blush stained the Half-demon's cheeks, though he opened his mouth nevertheless. After chewing cautiously, still not all too sure he liked it all that much, Inuyasha swallowed, the emotions crossing his features so indistinguishable Sesshomaru wasn't sure if it was to his liking or not.

"It's alright…" Inuyasha muttered at last, returning to polish off his own dishes. "I prefer ramen though…"

Sesshomaru almost rolled his eyes. He supposed allowing his brother to eat human food was a small sacrifice. Started from his pensiveness, the Demon Lord watched Inuyasha's hand steal forwards, snatching another piece of meat from his own bowl. _Apparently he did enjoy demon food,_ Sesshomaru's mind supplied. He'd have to remember his little brother's love of his stomach.

_Food,_ he noted, _that's definitely something he likes…_

"You may finish my dish, if you like, Inuyasha," he offered coolly, seeming to shock his younger brother with the act of generosity.  
"You sure?" Inuyasha asked, uncertain.  
"Indeed, I have not much of an appetite; regardless I would rather watch you enjoy it."

Not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth, Inuyasha readily accepted. Besides, when had _he_ ever passed-up the opportunity for food? _About as many times as Miroku never groped a woman,_ his mind supplied, thoughts straying into what activities Sesshomaru was planning on dragging him out to. _Probably just another perverted act,_ he thought, a slight blush dusting his cheeks.

* * *

Inuyasha felt as though his head was on a swivel, and even though he realised what he was doing, it didn't stop the overwhelming need to pause and examine everything his path crossed. This, of course amused Sesshomaru to no end. A smile reached his lips, a barely there gesture that for once, was not snide or derisive, merely…_touched_ by the wonderment that graced his little brother's face. Even a little sound of awe ushered past those rose-petal lips at the sight of the tenderly trimmed gardens and rich foliage.

Sesshomaru walked slowly through the grounds, allowing Inuyasha a small, respectful freedom between them as the Half-demon admired the gardens, quite in his own world. The Demon Lord could practically see his brother's mind swimming with all the new sights and smells assaulting his senses with their fragrance and vitality. That face, usually contorted with fear and anger…it was alight with happiness, and it caused a confusing warmth to rise up in the Demon Lord's chest.

_Strange_, Sesshomaru thought idly, pausing at the small bridge that spanned across the vivacious stream which ran through the grounds, and resting the small of his back against the handrail, contentedly waiting for the Half-demon to catch up with him. _He seems so raging with fury most of the time, but now…he is so pensive and distant…like two different people… _  
Then again, he supposed he had a lot to learn about his little brother and his 'split-personas'…

The Demon Lord was beginning to worry Inuyasha would do himself an injury by craning his neck too far and gazing so intently at each and every detail of the estate. Then, as suddenly as if he'd heard his name called, Inuyasha's gaze snapped to him then, pausing beside his elder brother expectantly, youthful golden eyes still wary of the purpose of this little trip, and the motivation behind it.

"Shall we continue?"

Inuyasha quirked a brow at his brother's question. "Continue to where?"

Extending an arm, gesturing to the other side of the stream, Sesshomaru offered nothing more than that startlingly foreboding smirk, which shook the half-demon, even as he continued across the bridge. As Inuyasha turned, the Demon Lord caught the half-demon's provocative scent, crimson flashing across his vision for a brief moment, watching silver hair shift slightly as the gentle breeze brushed against it, observing the sinfully slender figure move unknowingly towards the welcoming grass on the other side. Following after him, Sesshomaru's devious hand stole subtly against the half-demon's back, gently ushering him onwards, the small touch lighting a hungry fire within his chest, and sending an uneasy shiver up Inuyasha's spine.

Passing through the gates to the castle, the brothers made their way towards the village just beyond leisurely, each welcomed by the pleasant smells of the bustling community. Sesshomaru frowned as he felt Inuyasha's back go up, those delectable puppy ears betraying the half-demon's anxiety at the crowds they were steadily approaching. He'd been alright, until the sudden realisation hit him – that he and Sesshomaru were the centre of attention. _Evidently Inuyasha doesn't appreciate the extra attention from large crowds. Then again, such experiences in the past cannot have been very positive for him, _Sesshomaru's mind suggested.

Inuyasha gnawed his lower lip agitatedly; he just wished they'd stop staring at him! His ears slicked back against his skull, ready for the onslaught of _"half-demon"_ and _"Dirty half-breed"_. But they didn't come. Warm smiles greeted the two lords, each demon bowing curtly before continuing with their previous tasks, polite gazes wandering occasionally back to their demon lord and his younger brother. The busy sounds of the market slowly returned, leaving Inuyasha quite stunned at his brother's side. _What the hell…?_

A soft touch of Sesshomaru's hand on the small of his back roused him from his disbelief, causing Inuyasha to look up at his brother.

"What did you expect them to do?" Sesshomaru asked almost inaudibly, "Pursue you with pitchforks?"

Inuyasha's brow creased with a frown. "What the heck is so funny? Does my horrible past amuse you? Because chasing me, hunting me down like a dog – even _beating_ me is what they _did_ do to me – Or had you forgotten?"

Sesshomaru looked quite taken aback by this sudden change in mood, Inuyasha was so content and…well _docile_ a moment before. _Is this what humiliation and anxiety do to him?_ Wondered the Demon Lord, making a mental note to ensure that Inuyasha was always comfortable with his surroundings… _Another thing that I must take note of if I hope to coerce Inuyasha into this relationship._ Sesshomaru would've sighed in exasperation – but he didn't – Inuyasha was quite the mystery…

"Indeed, I fear that I had forgotten-"  
"-Well I'm glad you're in a position where you _can_ forget so easily – because I'm not!" People turned to stare then, obviously horrified that someone was talking to Lord Sesshomaru in such a way.  
"Inuyasha, calm yourself," he retorted as softly as his rapidly increasing irritation would allow, "I…" He paused. What was he supposed to say to calm Inuyasha down again? The Half-demon's temper was flaring, if Sesshomaru didn't quash this now Inuyasha would overreact and try to leave again. "I apologise…"

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "H-Huh?" he muttered, his voice slightly higher than usual.  
"I apologise for forgetting, and for being so insensitive to your needs. We may return to the castle if you wish…"  
"No, no it's alright," Inuyasha replied a little too quickly, more curious as to his new surroundings than being taken aback by Sesshomaru's sudden chivalry. _Besides, first time I've been outside without some perverted demon harassing my backside..._

"Indeed, in that case, should you like to look around?"

His only response was a shrug, though somehow, the Demon Lord understood the meaning behind it. Perhaps he was beginning to understand his younger brother a little better now.

Inuyasha followed behind his brother, unusually quiet, as he took in his surroundings a little more, trying to resist pausing and examining some of the shinier objects on the stalls.

"Is there something you'd like, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru chimed in, a little too nicely. _It's getting kinda creepy now_, the Half-demon thought.  
"No, not really…" He knew what was going on here, Sesshomaru was trying to buy him, but it wasn't going to work, he didn't want or _need_ material things. The Tetsusaiga and the clothes he stood in were the only things he had in the world, they kept him alive, what more did he need? He wasn't someone who needed tonnes of worldly possessions to feel comfortable.

_I'd settle for just __**belonging**__ somewhere,_ he thought solemnly, raising his eyes when he felt Sesshomaru's hand on his shoulder.  
"Are you alright, Little brother?"

Inuyasha shuddered at the sincerity – at the _niceness_ of that statement. It was _really_ beginning to get eerie. "Yeah…fine…I…why're you _doing_ this?" the Half-demon asked quietly. "You're being…well – _nice_! It's starting to scare the hell outta me!"

Sesshomaru remained complacent. "You should prefer I was horrible to you?"

"No, that's not what I meant, I…I just…Look, you're up to something, I can sense it."

The Demon Lord quirked a brow, a forebodingly devious smirk meeting his lips.  
"I merely wish to prove to you that when you decide to stay, I will endeavour to make your life as comfortable as possible."

Inuyasha scowled. "What do you mean _'when'_, overconfident presumptuous-" The Half-demon cut off as his brother seized his chin swiftly, gently, hot breath steaming over his lightly parted lips that were so very near his brother's. Inuyasha swallowed nervously, is heart thudding hard in his chest. _Is…Sesshomaru going to kiss me?_

"I can hear your heart fluttering," Sesshomaru breathed, (astonishingly not drawing everyone's eyes to them with the _almost kiss_)."You want me to kiss you, don't you?"  
"No, I-"  
"-You only have to ask. There's no shame in it…"

Inuyasha's cheeks flushed, eyes shining with half-hearted desire. "I…" He wet his lips uncertainly. "I don't-"  
"-You _do_…" That sweet breath steamed onto blushing skin, as if breathing some kind of provocative aphrodisiac into his lungs.  
"I…I want… Can we go back now, thanks to _you_ my whole _body_ hurts."

Sesshomaru sighed, pulling back slowly. "Of course, you may bathe in the castle's hot springs if you wish; I imagine that would soothe your muscles, would it not?" he asked. Inuyasha nodded, a little too eager to be out of such close proximity of his elder brother. He was _really_ starting to make him nervous.

* * *

Inuyasha growled irritatedly as Sesshomaru stood in his path. "You said I could use the hot springs-"  
"-And you may, and I wish to accompany you."  
"_Why?_ You said you wouldn't try anything until I asked!"  
"I did, I never said I would _try_ anything. Or do you mean to convince me that you are shy of your body all of a sudden – even after our encounters?"  
"Shut up, Asshole – If you're coming with me I ain't going at all!"

A smirk twitched at Sesshomaru's lips. "Indeed, in that case, will you accompany me somewhere? I have one more thing to show you."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes tiredly. He'd never been one for baths, not really (perhaps it was the canine in him) but right now a dip in the hot springs was looking _really_ good.  
"Fine…" he griped, he wasn't in the mood to argue for some reason. In any case, the quicker he conceded, the quicker he could go back to sleep. _Ah, sleep,_ he thought, _that's even better than the hot springs._

Sesshomaru was quite pleased with his brother's cooperation, even if it was only given as a result of how tired the little Half-demon was. Leading Inuyasha down the hall, he smiled slightly at the Half-demon traipsing exhaustedly behind. It didn't matter, Inuyasha _had_ to like the surprise that was in store, if there was anything Inuyasha would ask of him, he was sure that (aside from the obvious need for affection) this would be it. If this didn't please him then he didn't know what would.

Pausing at one of the doors, Sesshomaru slid the shoji open, gesturing for Inuyasha to walk inside. Grumbling under his breath, the Half-demon complied, stepping through the door, his elder brother following soon after. The screen slid slowly shut behind them. Inuyasha's golden gaze scanned the room, not entirely sure what he was looking at. It was grand – far grander even than _Sesshomaru's_ (and now his) room, though similarly dressed and decorated. It smelt musky, as if it hadn't been used for a while, the lingering scent of Sesshomaru in the air, accompanied by a stale familiar and unknown smell. And then he realised…This was their father's room.

Inuyasha's chest tightened, he felt like his heart and lungs would be squeezed to nothing with the invisible, heavy weight crushing his chest. His father…the man who was so great, who he 'so resembled'. The man who made up half of who he was…and the man he'd scarcely met before in his life…this was his room…

"Se-Sesshomaru…why are you…?"  
"These are Father's chambers; I had ordered them to be left just as he left them long ago, though it is regularly cleaned… I thought, perhaps you would like to see them."

Inuyasha inhaled shakily, still studying the room for some clue, some _crumb_ that silenced the endless questions he had carried for all this time. But he wouldn't find them here. He _knew_ he wouldn't. The only person that held the answers was long gone…

Making his way across the room, Inuyasha ran his fingers slowly along the curtain drape, gazing pensively out of the window, and out onto the land his father was renowned to have loved so much. This was all that was left? Two sons that hated each other, a dusty old room, two fangs and a legacy… This was all that remained of the Great Dog-demon? However great it may seem to an outsider, to Inuyasha, it was nothing.

"It's all tripe…" Inuyasha muttered lowly, drawing Sesshomaru's attention towards him. The only thing that mattered to Inuyasha, that his father had left behind was Tetsusaiga, because that answered one question at least…his father had loved him. He'd left him the Tetsusaiga, his last effort to protect his son from the demon blood that flowed through his veins. Even now, with the fang resting at his side, his father's lingering protection remained. It was all the embraces, the reassurances and endearments he would never get to hear from those dead lips.

"Inuyasha-"  
"-I'm sorry, I just…this room, this castle…it tells me nothing that I want to know about him. No matter how much I look around and see what's his, I'll never know what he was like, never hear him tell me things a boy has to hear from his father…I'll never know if he loved me just as much as you – half-demon or no, or how much he adored my mother…"

Sesshomaru frowned as his brother's eyes glazed over with uncharacteristic sadness. He'd never seen Inuyasha so…so miserable.

"I'll never be able to have what you had with him…"

Sesshomaru had never really thought about it that much before – how _lucky_ he was to have the memories of his father, whereas Inuyasha had nothing. Inuyasha had the coveted Tetsusaiga, but compared to the love, the lost times with a beloved father, did the fang even begin to compare? Even _Sesshomaru_ wouldn't trade those times to have the sword in his hands. He'd always assumed Inuyasha _preferred_ his human heritage, and therefore didn't care about their father either, but obviously, he'd been wrong. He was learning more and more about Inuyasha by the moment.

Staring desolately out of the window, the Half-demon's eyes locked onto the woodland just beyond the village at the castle borders, the trees a soothing sight for his tear-stained gaze. He needed some air, or he'd just break down on the floor and scream. "That forest…"

Sesshomaru's gaze snapped to his little brother, tearing him from his thoughts. "Yes?"

"Can we go there? Now?" Inuyasha asked. Not really understanding the request, the Demon Lord complied in any case – _anything_ to make up for his reckless blunder. Not for the first time, had he put that look in his brother's eyes, and not for the first time, did he hate himself for it…

* * *

"I apologise Inuyasha, I-"  
"-No…it's alright…" Sesshomaru watched his brother in mild confusion. Why was Inuyasha being so accepting? He was (very uncharacteristically) apologising – _sincerely_! And Inuyasha wasn't even responding to it! _Ungrateful whelp_, Sesshomaru mentally growled.

"Might I ask why you wished to walk here, Inuyasha?" The Demon Lord asked, changing the subject, not relishing humbling himself into wretched apologies which were unappreciated in any case. Inuyasha didn't respond immediately, simply relishing in the feel of the forest air in his lungs, and grass under his feet. Perhaps it was something to do with all the time he'd spent near trees, but he seemed to have some deep-running connection with them that brought him soothing comfort.

"The forest scent helps me think…it's soothing…" he answered truthfully. Sesshomaru could relate to that, he supposed. There were places he went to think. His father's room, for example. Perhaps the reason it smelt of him was because the smell of his father eased his mind, like back in the days when he was still a mere pup, and the Dog-demon would find all the right words to appease his anxiety.

Then there was Inuyasha's (old) room. Often he'd find himself in there, mulling over what might've been if he'd accepted Inuyasha – his thoughts, his unconscious worries of Inuyasha was what drew him there, he understood that now. He'd been angry at his father for dying for Inuyasha, and taken that out on his half-brother, but he realised now, as he walked beside his sibling in their father's lands, that this feeling inside him…he must care about Inuyasha, even if only a little.

_A very little,_ his mind assured him, _love is still a futile emotion which I would not bother to bestow upon anyone, let alone someone who would beg for it like a dog…_

Suddenly, both brothers stopped dead in their tracks. That scent. They recognised it. "Sesshomaru-"  
"-I know. I can smell it too." Two golden gazes scanned the beautiful woodland around them.  
"He's close-"  
"-Closer than you think."

The dog-demons turned towards that voice that called from overhead, a smooth, seductive tone that slithered into their ears. The dark figure dropped to the ground with relative ease, regarding Inuyasha lustfully, before approaching slowly.

"Hikireimaru…" Inuyasha growled, his clawed fingers grasping Tetsusaiga threateningly.  
"Inuyasha," the Demon cooed, "I told you, Little one, I would return for you."

The Half-demon blushed furiously. "Screw you! I was weakened before but I'm perfectly fine now, and I ain't taking no crap from you!"

Hikireimaru smirked, wagging a scolding finger at him playfully. "Ah ah, Inuyasha, I will not spoil that beautiful body of yours fighting, any violence will be between your brother and myself."

Sesshomaru said nothing, though a furious fire gleamed in his eyes betrayed his eagerness to tear Hikireimaru to shreds. Inuyasha snarled.

"It's me you're fighting over, _I'll_ be the one to fight and I'll kill both of you if you don't stop treating me like a prissy whore that's to be some kinda twisted prize!"  
"Why, Inuyasha, I never pictured you as a romantic," the Dark-haired-demon taunted, paused just a little way away from the brothers.  
"Shut up!"  
"Enough." Sesshomaru extended his arm, offering a challenge. "I tire of this. You will die now, Hikireimaru."

The said demon merely continued to watch him with confident amusement. "Lord Sesshomaru, I thought you'd never ask…"

Inuyasha yelped as Sesshomaru shoved him aside out of the way, leaping forwards, poison claws hissing with venom as they tore through the air and into flesh. Hikireimaru winced, the wound a mere graze, not fatal, even with the poison foaming over the scrape. "I must thank you for breaking him in for me My Lord, how considerate of you."

Sesshomaru growled this time, shoving the ignorant demon backwards several paces before he was upon him again.

Hikireimaru's claws ripped into his arm, raking through flesh and relishing in the blood that stained his own fingers as a result. Drawing the digits to his mouth, he tasted the fluids.

Inuyasha watched them trying to tear each other apart, both too quick for the other to get more than a few small blows in. _This could last a while,_ Inuyasha mentally groaned, _if they won't let me fight then I'll just head back and go to bed._ Yes, that bed and those sheets sounded heavenly right about now. Never mind about Hikireimaru and Sesshomaru, if they killed each other all the better for him.

"Stupid sons-of-a – ARGH!"

The scream of pain brought the battle to a crashing halt, both demons leaping apart to gaze over at the half-demon, who had doubled up in agony, clutching his stomach.  
"Inuyasha?" asked Sesshomaru, almost concerned, moving over to his side, "what's the matter?" Inuyasha cursed lowly under his breath, crying out again.  
"It – geez it hurts…I think I'm gunna be sick…" Sesshomaru looked a little taken aback. After all, demons didn't get sicknesses the same as humans did; he didn't know what was _wrong_.

TBC


	8. I'll Struggle On and On

**Chapter Eight  
I'll Struggle On and On...**

Inuyasha screamed, claws biting into his brother's arm which lightly embraced him in response to his agony. He'd doubled over at the searing pain in his stomach. He felt like he was going to be sick, like his insides were turning slowly back to front. "I'm gonna puke…" the Half-demon groaned, feeling his stomach churn, bile rising in his throat. Sesshomaru stooped down to his side further, his brow furrowed with a slight frown. He hadn't thought a part-demon could be brought to their knees by a mere trifling stomach-ache.

A smirk twitched at the sides of Hikireimaru's mouth as he observed the brothers, Sesshomaru's arm coming to rest around the Half-demon's shoulders gently, an almost reassuring gesture. But the Dark-haired-demon knew better. It was a gesture stating his claim, and the way the Demon Lord's gaze fixed upon him then, it assured him of its meaning – Inuyasha was Sesshomaru's. But both full-demons knew also, that there was no solid, unbreakable bond without a mark on both partners, and by the smell of Inuyasha's seductively free scent, that had yet to happen.

_I __**will**__ have what I desire,_ thought Hikireimaru sinisterly, even as his smirk disguised his ominous scheme, _and no spoilt heir of a dead dog will stop me…_

"I warned you to stay away," Sesshomaru stated, rounding on Hikireimaru. The Dark-haired-demon nodded. "And yet you are here, on _my_ lands? I find myself wondering, Hikireimaru, if you realise just who you are dealing with."  
"Who could forget, you inform everyone you encounter often enough…"

Sesshomaru grit his teeth, claws flexing, prepared for attack. This confidence was irritating…

"I do not fear a lord with a softened heart-"  
"-Silence!"

Inuyasha jumped as Sesshomaru shot forwards, claws poised to tear into Hikireimaru's flesh. Razor talons snagged obsidian hair, but that was all, Hikireimaru dodged the furious attack.

"We are not in your court now, _'My Lord'_, you cannot silence me like some mongrel at your table."

The Half-demon felt his back go up as that crimson gaze darted to him swiftly with that statement, before returning to weigh heavily on Sesshomaru once more.

"The truth burns, does it not, _'Sire'_?" Hikireimaru spat. The Demon Lord leapt forwards, this time his claws ripping flesh, poison foaming at the fresh gash – not enough to kill, just enough to twist that face with a wince of pain. Hikireimaru would suffer for mocking _him_ – Lord Sesshomaru.

Hikireimaru gasped, hand clasping at the vicious wound. "Try not to take out your bitterness at being refused by my Little brother, on someone phenomenally more powerful than yourself – FOOL!"

Inuyasha grit his teeth against the pain, watching from the sidelines. He knew it; they were still fighting over him! "Stop it! Just damn well stop it!" He managed out through clenched teeth. The gazes of the two other demons fell on his body, tensed in agony. "Stop arguing over my like I'm some helpless wench! My body is mine and _neither_ of you are having it – not ever, so don't even _bother_!"

The others looked quite stunned, Sesshomaru's complacent features almost touched by a frown of confusion, as Inuyasha swatted away his embrace.

"Get the hell off me!" The Half-demon spat, staggering to his feet shakily. "I'm _leaving_ – screw you and your stinkin' ditch efforts to try and _seduce_ me like some…some…GIRL!"

Sesshomaru remained as unworried as ever. "I have told you Inuyasha…being the uke doesn't make you any less of a man-"  
"-How the hell does _that_ work, dumbass? It means submitting – lowering your pride and perking your ass up to another man and damn well liking it! How does that make me less of a man?"  
"Because you're still the same person, Inuyasha…" Sesshomaru explained simply. The youngest sibling seemed startled by that sudden warmth, that sudden…reassurance?

"You are the same man that screams uncouth obscenities and claims to hate me, as you are when you come to my bed and beg for completion…"  
"No…"  
"_'No'_? Is it so hard to admit? I thought you were coming to accept the idea-"  
"No! No, Sesshomaru, why…why can't you just…" Inuyasha turned his head away, both the Demon lord's and Hikireimaru's unnerving gazes weighing upon him. "I only want to… I don't want to be like that, be…unnatural…I want… Damn it all, I want to be happy is that so damn wrong?"  
"And I could not offer you such a thing?" Sesshomaru asked blankly, Hikireimaru watching the scene with sinister amusement – the void between the brothers was quickly widening, Inuyasha would be driven into desperation before he knew it…

"No, you couldn't! You don't care about me, you don't love me, you only care about yourself! How could anyone so _selfish_ make me happy? You – you're doing all these…_nice_ things for me, but you're not doing them because you love me, you're doing them because you _want_ me."  
"And there is a difference?"  
"YES! Wanting me and loving me isn't the SAME! You just want me to…" a flush dusted an embarrassed Inuyasha's cheeks, as he yet again avoided those eyes. "…to sleep with you…and have your damn pups and…you don't care that I don't want to at all…"  
"Inuyasha-"  
"-Loving someone isn't like that!"  
"I thought you said you didn't want me to love you?"  
"I don't wanna talk about this anymore!" The Half-demon declared, turning to walk off. Sesshomaru snatched his arm, turning his bother to face him roughly, rousing a cry of pain from him as the Demon lord's claws nicked his skin.

"It is pretty careless of you, simply fleeing from a situation every time you do not wish to speak of intimate things. How childish…"  
"By demon standards, Inuyasha technically is still a child-"  
"-Shut up you!" snapped Inuyasha, cutting across Hikireimaru's words, to which the said demon merely smirked.

"Answer me, Inuyasha. What exactly _do_ you require in order to accept a life with me?" Sesshomaru asked complacently. Inuyasha snarled, trying to wrench himself away, only to have Sesshomaru growl dangerously, harsh, rough tones overflowing his senses as that hot breath steamed over his flushed cheeks once more. He watched as his older sibling brought the bleeding gash to his mouth to rid the accidental wound of his poison.  
"Get off me-"  
"-I want an answer."

Inuyasha said nothing, his body twisting in violent attempts for freedom. "Perhaps your sudden stomach-ache is affecting your ability to answer a simple question, Inuyasha?" The Demon Lord asked, petting the pained stomach in mock-affection.  
"D-Don't…"  
"Then just be honest-"  
"-What the heck is _wrong_ with you?" _He was trying to tear Hikireimaru's throat out a moment ago and now all of a sudden groping me is more important? _Inuyasha mentally screamed. "You, you don't even – argh!" An agonised cry tore free from his throat as he stumbled forwards uselessly into Sesshomaru's chest, doubling up in pain, the agony within his stomach now paired with the numbing aftermath of that small jolt of poison from where Sesshomaru had nicked him.

"Inuyasha?"  
"S-Shut up…" The Half-demon growled out between clenched teeth, claws raking unknowingly into his older brother's chest as he reluctantly fell into the mercy of that embrace. Another muffled groan of agony sounded into the fur dressing Sesshomaru's shoulder, eyes shut tight against the world. "Wh-What the hell is wrong with me…?"

The Demon Lord gazed down at him thoughtfully, completely disregarding the enemy not a few feet away. "Takara will know what is happening to you, but that means we must return to the castle." He resented his rash behaviour for a mere flickering moment – he shouldn't have grabbed Inuyasha like that, not with poison still seeping from his claws with his fury at Hikireimaru.

Inuyasha didn't have the strength to argue – it hurt – he didn't know what was wrong but it hurt, and the poison was increasing that pain, even though the accidental dosage was small.

The Demon Lord offered Hikireimaru a threatening glare. "We will settle this matter at a later time, agreed?" Though he hated letting an enemy escape, he didn't really have much choice. Did half-demons die from mere stomach pains? He wasn't sure…the small jolt of poison which he had almost immediately cured barely brought a wince to Hikireimaru's features, but Inuyasha had collapsed under the numbing pressure. He wasn't sure what was happening, but he wasn't willing to take a chance.

Hikireimaru smirked menacingly. "Do as you will, 'Lord' Sesshomaru, we are going to live forever, there is no sense in rushing in what I _know_ will one day be mine…"

Sesshomaru grit his teeth against that grating, irritating voice, wanting nothing more than to slice that arrogant grin to pieces, but somehow, the smaller frame tensing in another jolt of pain drew him back, allowing him to turn his back, heading back to the castle.

* * *

Takara bolted down the grand staircase, feet barely touching ground as he flew to Sesshomaru's chambers. He hadn't been called there for an _emergency_ since the Demon Lord was a small child, and it worried him greatly at the emphasis on the need for urgency in the message he'd received summoning him. Raising his hand to the door he knocked swiftly, breath ragged and uneven as he tried to regain some form of calm. "Come in." With Sesshomaru's words, the Demon stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

The brilliant blues eyes of Takara widened in surprise to see his Lord pressing Inuyasha's shoulders down, as the Half-demon scrambled to get up. "GET OFF ME!"  
"Lie still you insolent pup!"  
"M-My Lord?" asked Takara, bemused. "You said it was an emergency?"  
"Yes," Sesshomaru answered, stepping away from Inuyasha slightly, a cautious look in his eyes. "There is something wrong with Inuyasha, he is experiencing stomach pains, we believe he may be-"  
"-Believe sod all! It's a stomach-ache you _ass_ not a damn pup! Just your wishful thinking that I damn well pregnant! What's wrong with you, are you feeling broody or something?"

Sesshomaru sneered. "You know very well that that is ridiculous, and you are merely acting up to disguise how frightened you are."

Inuyasha swallowed nervously. "Frightened? Of what you sonofa-"  
"-You know what I am suggesting you fear, Pup…"

The Half-demon fell silent, that nauseating sensation rising in his throat once more. "Gods…I need to puke…"

Takara smiled warmly, moving to approach Inuyasha, but Sesshomaru held him back, inclining in to whisper in his ear. "I may have accidentally scraped Inuyasha with my claws…" The Demon Lord's advisor raised a brow, looking at him oddly.  
"Did you administer any poison in the process?" Takara asked. Sesshomaru gave a slight nod. "And you gave him the antidote?"

Again, the Demon lord nodded, the gesture barely noticeable, feeling horribly like a guilty pup that was about to be scolded for something bad. He rarely felt remorse, but when he did, he hated it.

"Of course, however, I am more concerned that…"

Taking pity on someone he knew wasn't used to feeling such guilt, Takara smiled once more. "That if Inuyasha were to be pregnant you may have harmed it? Well, I quite agree, Sire, it is a possibility, I will not know until I examine him, however, perhaps, whatever the outcome, you should take this as a sign, My Lord, to be more gentle and patient with Inuyasha."

Sesshomaru stiffened, a slight growl rumbling in his throat. "I tried."

Takara had to work to suppress a laugh at the Demon lord's expression. "Undeniably, Sire," he answered simply, moving towards Inuyasha again, but yet again, Sesshomaru stopped him, glancing _almost_ apprehensively at his ailing brother.  
"What must I do?" he asked, his usually complacent tone verging on anxious. "What else can I do to get Inuyasha to accept this, I have done everything, promised him anything, and he still pulls away. Why?"

Takara observed that confusion beyond impassive eyes, seeing the child he once knew in the stoic lord before him. He set his hand on the Demon Lord's shoulder gently, passing his reassurance onto him with a mere glance.  
"Perhaps what Inuyasha desires, you have not offered, or maybe…you just haven't offered it in a way that he deemed acceptable."

Sesshomaru frowned. "Do you believe that, if Inuyasha were to concieve, he would stay?" the Lord asked. Takara's expression remained unresponsive, though Sesshomaru could see the disapproval within his eyes.  
"I believe he would react…_negatively_, if this is done incorrectly, Sire, he will not be able to come to terms with it. I would not advise thrusting such a life-changing burden upon him, he is practically still a pup himself…."  
"But what if I already have?"

"What the hell are you guys scheming over there?" gasped out Inuyasha, watching them warily, his voice quaking for some reason. "I don't like the way you're – Oh god – I'm gonna be sick…" The half-demon turned on his side, claws tearing at the sheets beneath his claws, digging into the side of the bed as he leant over, throat retching.

Takara shot forwards, scooping the boy's hair from his face and holding it behind his head, rubbing his back in slow circles. Sesshomaru stood by, looking quite lost, golden eyes tracked on his brother's quivering form, as he vomited the contents of his stomach up all over the floor. The Demon Lord, he'd never seen sickness like this, even Rin had only ever had a few rough shots of some rare fevers that he'd come to know mortal children were susceptible to. He knew what vomiting was (even if he hadn't suffered it himself) yet he was still stunned at the way it brought Inuyasha to his knees, paling that usually deliciously honey-hued flesh, sweat beading down his face. He looked like death warmed up – _helpless_, and he didn't like it.

"Oh god…" Inuyasha gasped as the regurgitation paused for a moment, his breath frantic. Takara soothed him like a parent calming a scared child, getting to his feet slowly.  
"I'll go bring something up for you, something to settle your stomach," he murmured softly, rousing a cry of negation from Inuyasha, who was confused, maybe even a little scared…he didn't want to struggle through this alone. "It's alright, I'll be quick. My lord," The Servant began, looking to Sesshomaru, "could you hold his hair back out of his face, rub his back," he muttered, so that only Sesshomaru could hear, "speak softly to him." The last part came out more of an order than the Demon Lord liked, still this was Takara, he would trust him…

As his faithful servant departed the room, Sesshomaru's gaze returned to Inuyasha again, as he watched the Half-demon's claws tear into the bed once more, preparing for the oncoming sickness. "Here it comes again…"

Sesshomaru prevented himself form gnawing his lip apprehensively, not really sure whether he _should_ be doing this. A Demon Lord playing nursemaid to a sick Half-breed? He scoffed at the idea. But in any case, that pitiful defeated look called to him so, he didn't want to see that look on his little brother's face anymore…

Moving unsurely over to his brother's form, Sesshomaru followed Takara's advice, brushing rebellious tresses of silver hair back behind his head as his free hand travelled skittishly to massage the boy's back. That sickening retching noise tore at his throat again, and Sesshomaru felt his own stomach churn at the sound. _'Speak softly to him'_ – and just what was he supposed to say?

"It is alright, Inuyasha…" he settled on, the words seeming ridiculous the moment they passed his lips.  
"I-I-" the Half-demon spluttered, gasping for breath, "I'm sorry…"

Sesshomaru frowned. "Sorry? For what?"

Inuyasha seemed to regain control a little, easing back onto his knees, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "F-For puking all over your floor…"

The Demon Lord grimaced at the mess all over the expensive rug. Though strangely, he found himself not quite as angry about as he might've been – as he _normally_ would be.  
"It is alright, it was an accident – accidents happen." Inuyasha froze, turning to gaze at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.  
"Wh-What did you say?" The older brother frowned.  
"It was an accident," he repeated, "It wasn't your fault."  
"Y-yeah…but you…"  
"I what?"  
"You meant it this time…" Again, Sesshomaru was left bewildered.  
"What on earth are you-?"  
"-You meant it…they weren't just forced words…you _meant_ them…"

The Demon Lord gazed down at him, so adorably innocent at that moment, the colour slowly restoring to his cheeks. Eyes widened in gorgeous belief, he would've kissed him then, if he hadn't just finished throwing up all over his floor. Leaning in, almost detached from his usual self, Sesshomaru brushed a brief fluttering kiss to the boy's forehead, drawing back only to consider that slightly flushed expression.

"What'd ya do that for?" Inuyasha asked shakily, wetting his suddenly dry lips, flinching at the awful taste left in his mouth. He reached for the glass of water at the bedside, (thankful it seemed to be in the aristocracy's norm to leave some form of sustenance there) ridding his mouth of that revolting taste.

The Demon Lord watched every mouthful, every trembling swallowing motion of his throat, and when Inuyasha had downed all of the water, he took the glass gently, setting it aside. Those lustrous eyes gleamed up at him, as if only just realising that his older brother was kneeling over his hips. "Well? What'd ya do it for?" he repeated, so flustered over such an innocent little manoeuvre.

"I am not entirely sure," Sesshomaru muttered quietly, "do you unruly half-breeds not call it affection?" It was an insult to an outsider's view, but to Inuyasha, he felt the breath whisked from his lungs at the lack of hatred, and the presence of what he could only describe as _warmth_ on that name that had plagued him for over two centuries.

He didn't know what it was, perhaps the sudden show of sincere affection, (however slight it was) perhaps just that same hunger for love, no matter how much he tried to deny it's existence. Whatever it was, Inuyasha drew a shaky breath, again, wetting his lips, as he propped his weight onto his elbows, lifting into a chaste kiss, as he pressed his mouth to Sesshomaru's.

Startled by the movement at first, Sesshomaru merely paused there, before moving down, throwing himself ardently into that kiss, hands molesting the Half-demon's body, skimming up into his kimono to caress taut muscles, and brushing gently over perk nipples. Inuyasha gasped against that mouth as it descended over his throat, nipping occasionally at his shoulder. Sesshomaru glanced up to gaze upon those features flushed with arousal, frowning as the Half-demon's ears twitched, swivelling forward. "Something wrong?" the Demon asked.  
"Ta-Takara is-" The younger brother was cut off by the sharp knocking at the door. Sesshomaru would have groaned in annoyance if it was within his character – which it wasn't. He drew back, permitting Inuyasha to rearrange his clothes to maintain some shred of dignity, before he called for Takara to enter the room.

"Drink this slowly, Lord Inuyasha, you need something warm to settle your stomach after that," Takara said at once, offering the Half-demon the glass. Inuyasha watched him warily as he sipped the warm liquid. He must have been able to smell the scents of their arousal, and yet he remained silent about it. _Loyal indeed,_ Inuyasha thought, noting the way Takara inclined his head to gaze upon the mess on the floor.

"Hmmm, not very pretty," Takara muttered, his tone joking. "Is this what you've had to eat?" he asked. Inuyasha nodded, still sipping the tasteless drink. "Indeed…"

The Demon Lord observed as Takara frowned, approaching Inuyasha. "Would it be alright if I examined you?"

The Half-demon shrugged, lying quite still as Takara pulled back the covers, lifting his kimono off his stomach.

"Well?" asked Sesshomaru, after allowing the man a few moments of silent examination, not exactly _relishing_ in sensing that uncomfortable tinge to Inuyasha's scent. Takara stood up straight, his face as bright as it always was.  
"I haven't a clue," he answered chirpily, to which Sesshomaru raised a brow. "Something feels different, about Inuyasha…his stomach…perhaps it is just a stomach-flu or some other illness, but either way, he should not have reacted as he did to those raw meats, they provide him with nutrients he cannot get from the human foods he has been living off since he was born. He shouldn't have vomited them all up like that."

Both brothers watched him impatiently, as if expecting more. "Oh you are not pregnant," he added, suddenly realising what they were waiting for. Inuyasha relaxed back into the sheets, now only perturbed by the sickening scent of his own vomit. Whereas Sesshomaru, he remained as impassive as ever, save for the painfully restrained erection that seemed to go unnoticed by the other two.

"Should I have someone sent for to clear out the room Sire?" Sesshomaru nodded in answer to Takara's question absently. "And I have asked Nannami to prepare the hot-springs for you, My Lord, it might soothe Inuyasha's aches and pains – I notice he is still a little sore from earlier as well."

Inuyasha set down the now empty flask; he'd almost forgotten his desperate yearning for those hot-springs from earlier. Then he recalled the reason why they hadn't gone then. _No_, thought Inuyasha, _it…it should be alright, Sesshomaru wouldn't try anything when I've been sick – would he? _His mind sounded doubtful – he _was_ doubtful. _But he did promise,_ he thought, _he wouldn't try and…and rape me again…would he?_

TBC


	9. To Feed This Hunger

**Chapter Nine  
To Feed This Hunger**

His mind sounded doubtful – he _was_ doubtful. _But he did promise,_ he thought, _he wouldn't try and…and rape me again…would he?_ Inuyasha frowned, allowing Sesshomaru to show him (once again) to the hot springs, a nervous lump rising in his throat.

_"I will not be accused of rape a second time, Inuyasha…"_

He recalled those words. Hadn't he just done it again? As much as it pained him to admit it, Sesshomaru _hadn't_ raped him, not really…his heart clenched at the notion of _allowing_ himself to be dominated, to be gloated over like that by that…that _bastard_! But Sesshomaru hadn't gloated, and more recently, hadn't been much of a bastard either. He was trying – _actually_ trying, and that was probably what scared Inuyasha the most, because he _knew_ the Demon Lord must be up to something to be so…so nice. He knew Sesshomaru was just pulling on some façade, a mask to try and lure him into bed, and yet just then, back in the bedroom, that seemed real…sincere… Or was it?

He ground his teeth together in annoyance, he changed his mind – the _worst_ part about all this was not knowing which words and actions were actually Sesshomaru's, and which were all part of his older brother's intricate plot…

"Something troubling you, Inuyasha?" the smooth concerned tone sent shivers down his spine. He was just…so confused. _Why can't anything just be simple for once?_ Inuyasha growled mentally.  
"I…I don't understand you…" His voice was small, almost inaudible, not his own. It caused Sesshomaru to stop mid-step.

"What is there to understand?" the Demon Lord asked simply, "I have nothing to hide; I have told you what I want, and what I want for you. I am waiting for your answer."

Inuyasha growled in response. "Then why are you sneaking around my back? You're trying to win me over!"  
"Call it what you will, however, it is a traditional period, particularly when one of the partners is…_reluctant_ - Demon society call it courtship – _wooing _if you want it put simply," he answered, honesty reigning through his impassive tone. He didn't want to argue with Inuyasha anymore, it was becoming tiresome. The Half-demon flushed furiously at his words.  
"C-Courtship?" he almost squeaked, "Wooing? Me? I'm your _brother_!" Sesshomaru would have rolled his eyes then, but he didn't.

"We've discussed this, you keep mulling this over and over, but the fact remains, demons do not find incest nor male relationships taboo as humans do. There is part demon within you as well as that reckless human half of yours – You gave way _willingly_ to the pleasure I – your own _brother_ offered you – _twice_. And do not spit back that exhausted retort of _'I've been raised by humans and with their morals',_ you had no query with our blood-relationship when you kissed me mere moments ago." Sesshomaru paused, allowing the full force of his calmly spoken words to sink in, watching the unreadable emotions flicker swiftly across his little brother's face.

"I have offered you everything you could ever want, and do not attempt to deny you wanted it because I _know_ you crave it – all of it. I watched you as you considered, and if even for a moment I saw you contemplate the notion – I saw your yearning for it."

Inuyasha would not meet his eyes; silver hair hanging limply into them, shielding what the Demon Lord suspected would be a storm of emotions reflected within them, from his gaze. Had he gone too far? _No,_ his mind answered, _Inuyasha needs to hear this; we have beaten around the bush long enough. It is understandable if he needs more time before the initial mating, but this foolish 'rape' and 'deceiving' accusations will be quashed now._

"Do not think I am not aware of the _real_ reason either, Inuyasha."

The Half-demon's head snapped up. "What're you-"  
"-Indeed, these excuses, your uncertainty of me, these mortal morals, they are all part of it too, but I know that you would all too willingly toss them aside if you were not deep down troubled by something else…"  
"Stop it," Inuyasha spat, "Don't you dare-"  
"-Believe it or not, it is understandable-"  
"-_Understand?_ You don't understand _anything_! Don't stand there preaching to me about this so-called _'relationship'_ you seem to think we have – There is nothing – NOTHING between us because I don't damn well love you! And there is no way you can love me because you're too damn proud, arrogant and _selfish_!"

Sesshomaru raised a brow at him, attempting to span the small space between them slowly. "Ah, and suddenly everything is revealed," He muttered, "you say 'love' is necessary for us to continue, after trying to convince me you thought it pointless. Or maybe it was just the throes of passion that had tilted your mind. You want me to love you, do you not, Little Brother?"

Inuyasha screamed, shoving his brother roughly away from him as he tried to embrace him. Fury burned through him at his brother's words, the anger within only continuing to rise as Sesshomaru's mouth just kept on moving…

"All your life you have been scrambling for my attention, one way or another, desperate for some snippet of affection or acceptance, have you not? Do not attempt to deny it; you as good as said it yourself."

Inuyasha's mouth snapped shut as he was about to retort, backing away from his advancing brother.

"But despite that, this _'love'_ foolishness, it runs deeper, does it not?"  
"Stop it…" The Half-demon practically whimpered this time, clasping his hands over his ears, trying to shut out the words he knew were coming.  
"You are still in love with that priestess – Kagome. I can see that."

That dismal taint of salt on the air caused Sesshomaru nose to twitch, immediately rousing regret of being so tactless with his words. Yes, Inuyasha needed to hear it, but he hadn't needed to be so…so terse with him about it. He mentally berated himself for his slip-up; he was supposed to be being nice to Inuyasha, not bringing those infuriating to tears to his eyes.

The Demon Lord stared down at his little brother blankly, at a loss for what to do, how to fix this mess he'd made. Sesshomaru touched Inuyasha's forearm gently, provoking the Half-demon to raise his head slowly, hurt eyes regarding him carefully. "I am offering you a comfortable life, your priestess is gone, you can never get her back, but you are still here."

Inuyasha's brow creased with a frown.

"Your future can go either way, Inuyasha. You can continue to wallow in this misery – in squalor, or you can come home."

The Half-demon's ears perked at the last word despite himself, it's as if they had a mind of their own! Nevertheless, whether Sesshomaru meant it intentionally or not, hearing his older brother call this place his home so casually, it sounded…nice. Like a dream he'd been having for the last two-hundred years had only just come true, the words resounded in his head, blurred and distorted… _Home_…

Too long he had desired that, and too deep ran that passionate yearning for his liking… He felt like a lost pup again, he could almost see himself throwing himself into Sesshomaru's chest and falling into that intricate trap he knew the Demon Lord was laying down for him. Sesshomaru wanted him to stay, and the Half-demon had to admit, at least half of him was more than willing to comply. So why was it so hard?

That oddly warm hand on his shoulder stirred him from his bewildering thoughts, and he gazed up at those unusually soft eyes.

_He is frightened,_ Sesshomaru thought, not wanting to test Inuyasha's temper and launch into another argument by voicing it aloud, not when he'd only just managed to get him to calm down. But then that look struck his face, the look that told him if Inuyasha hadn't been such a proud, stubborn brat he would have cried. He hated that look, he'd come to that conclusion rather quickly over the last few days. Gritting his teeth together, Sesshomaru rummaged through his mind for something to say – then he realised something…

_Inuyasha_, he thought, _he seems different today. After what happened in Father's chambers…and now… He seems so openly susceptible to emotions today, is it this some mysterious sickness he seems to have contracted?_

"Y-You…" Inuyasha began, not meeting his eyes, but dragging him back from his pensiveness. "You think it's so easy…to make the decision, but you don't see how…how _not_ simple everything is – how confusing and…and hard everything is…"

Sesshomaru's face remained inexpressive as ever, as was his voice when he finally replied. "I do not expect an immediate answer," was all he said, before he turned, gesturing for Inuyasha to follow. It took a minute for those words to register in Inuyasha's head. Sesshomaru portraying even _slight_ kindness was still something he'd have to get used to, that is, if Sesshomaru stayed just as…pleasant after he'd finally got what he wanted…

Travelling the rest of the way to the hot-springs in silence, Inuyasha seemed to be lost within a reverie of some sort. When Sesshomaru closed the shoji screen behind them and they stepped out into the springs, the Half-demon practically leapt out of his skin from the small noise. It seemed to be one shock after another. As he recovered from the initial jolt back to reality, Inuyasha nearly choked on his own saliva as he noted Sesshomaru undressing leisurely.

"Wh-What're you-"  
"-If you are still concerned for your modesty," Sesshomaru interrupted him complacently, "undress and then wrap one of the towels around you – if you wish," he added the last part rather quickly, realising it sounded like an order. With that, the Demon lord waded slowly into the water. Inuyasha determinedly averted his eyes to his suddenly all-too-shaky hands that were busying themselves with shedding his kimono from his body. Swiftly, while his brother seemed pacified by adjusting to the warm waters, Inuyasha snatched up a towel from the side, covering himself with it.

Sesshomaru could have laughed if it were within his nature – which it _wasn't,_ as the Half-demon finally (and rather reluctantly) stepped into the springs after him; towel wrapped round his lower half. It was quite amusing, to see the brash Half-demon _still_ so bashful of his nudity, and he was sure that blush wasn't _only_ down to the warm water…

Seeming to be determinedly keeping his distance from him in the water, Inuyasha didn't move, nor manoeuvre to wash. He sat rigidly by the edge of the pool, back hunched and knees drawn up to his chest. _He looks ridiculous,_ Sesshomaru thought, _like some petulant brat_; though he didn't say this aloud either, not when Inuyasha was being quiet (thankfully).

Deciding not to rouse him to violence, Sesshomaru turned his back, (not looking at the Half-demon would definitely reduce the chance of his animal urges overcoming him) washing himself slowly. Purposefully running his slender fingers over himself deathly slow, Sesshomaru smirked when he noticed Inuyasha twitch out of the corner of his eye. _What an interesting creature you are, Inuyasha,_ the Demon lord thought absently. Then, a wince reached Inuyasha's face, and he shifted in pain, causing Sesshomaru to turn to him in mild concern.

"Something ails you?"

Inuyasha winced again, crawling sideways in the water slightly, still not regaining his posture. "My back hurts like hell."  
"A result of slouching your body like that," Sesshomaru answered simply. Inuyasha growled.  
"It's not because of that dumbass! It's 'cause the '_So Fabulous The Gods Wanna Kiss His Ass __**Sesshomaru**__'_ tied me up for so long my whole body went dead!"

The Demon lord merely smirked. Inuyasha was so petulantly adorable at times. "Ah, so you were not objecting to the bondage, you were objecting to the length of time you were restrained for?"

Again, Inuyasha snarled angrily, twisting his shoulder slightly, as if trying to coax life back into it. "Everyone's a comedian – _Geez,_ this hurts…" A smirk still playing at his lips, the Older brother moved over to him slowly, the smaller male not really noticing Sesshomaru's close proximity until he'd taken his arm gently into his grip, pressing gently, signalling he turn around. "Oh, yeah, right," Inuyasha snapped, trying to wrench his arm free of Sesshomaru's grip, "present my ass to some ass-hound, I think not-"  
"-Silence," muttered Sesshomaru, turning Inuyasha forcefully, so the Half-demon was trapped between him and the smooth rock.

Inuyasha winced, feeling Sesshomaru's erection through the towel on his backside, and preparing for the worst. Clawed fingers gripped the rock before him uselessly, flinching as the Demon lord's hands descended on his flesh once more.

"Did I not give you my word I would not take you until you asked? Are you insinuating I am a liar?" Sesshomaru asked. Inuyasha flinched, though needlessly, as Sesshomaru's fingers smoothed over his shoulders, kneading his tense muscles gently – mindful of his claws.  
"Why? Have you given me any reason to think otherwise?" Inuyasha spat, though the rebelling fire within drowning swiftly with those all-too-appealing touches. Sesshomaru's actions did not cease, delicate fingers massaging unusually sensitive skin, sending quivering little tremors through the smaller frame. The Demon lord felt his nether-regions tighten as Inuyasha trembled against him. _Amazing what you can achieve simply by touching the right nerves,_ Sesshomaru thought smugly.

Tracing the delectable contours of Inuyasha's flesh, Sesshomaru stroked his spine gently, willing the tense muscles to relax. Pressing tenderly at the small of Inuyasha's back, he felt the Half-demon's limbs turn to jelly, that delicious flush adorning that face that had never looked so peaceable whilst awake. Sesshomaru's limbs, meanwhile, did the exact opposite, they tensed, especially one _certain_ area. His fingers were tempted to skim beneath that towel and grope somewhere much more forbidden than the Half-demon's now soothed back and shoulders. But he couldn't. He had promised, after all… _Cursed promises_, the Demon lord mentally growled.

Reaching up, Sesshomaru's fingers flickered over one of the downy ears that had pressed back into his skull, massaging it softly and coercing that body to back against him slightly. Inuyasha's body arched trying to get more of the touch and trying to pull away all at once. "Wh-Why're you…doing this?" Inuyasha managed out, his voice practically a gasp. Again that smirk played at the Demon Lord's lips as he stroked both ears with gentle brushes of his fingers.  
"Perhaps because I adore that flushed look of confused passion on that face of yours," Sesshomaru almost purred in his flickering ear, not sounding at all like himself.  
"Se-Sesshomaru?"  
"Hn?"  
"I-"  
"Lord Sesshomaru?" The voice brought the brothers down to reality once more, and Inuyasha swore he could _feel_ Sesshomaru scowling at the silhouette of the toad demon standing beyond the shoji screen. _Confounded little toad, Sesshomaru mentally growled, he will be dealt with at a later time…_

"Enter, Jaken." His servant entered bulbous eyes widening insanely with shock at the sight of the flushed little Half-demon sprawled out underneath his Lord. Inuyasha, meanwhile, looked almost as horrified as Jaken, scrambling out from under Sesshomaru, hurriedly readjusting his towel.  
"M-Milord-"  
"-_Speak_, Jaken."  
"Y-Yes M-Milord," the Demon replied swiftly, "T-Takara says he wishes to speak to you r-r-regarding something important."

Large eyes strayed to Inuyasha during the brief pause, immediately snapping back to Sesshomaru when he felt the foreboding calm in the air emanating from him, threatening violence. "A-Also, Dinner is ready."

The Demon lord could barely repress a smirk at watching Inuyasha's ears twitch in reference to food out of the corner of his eye. _Indeed, food seems to be something Inuyasha does have a passion for…_

* * *

It would never cease to amaze him how much food could please someone; even _Rin_ wasn't as amused or contented with it as Inuyasha was. Again, the little human girl opposite Inuyasha beat her feet against the legs of the chair as she ate her meal cheerily. Unlike everyone else at the table, (who feared the wrath of their Lord if they were to do so) Rin's eyes returned regularly to Inuyasha, who in all honesty, wasn't paying her any attention, focused solely on his food, as opposed to the embarrassing reality that Jaken had walked in on him and Sesshomaru.

"Lord Inuyasha loves his tummy!" Rin chirped happily, drawing the Half-demon's gaze towards her, his mouthful of ramen suspended between his mouth and the plate.  
"Shut up ya little twerp," Inuyasha responded, his words slightly muffled by his mouthful of food, though his words containing no sincere malice or hatred. Sesshomaru smirked, his little brother was coming to like Rin rather faster than he'd expected, and he was already offering her the terse, rough affection he'd noticed him showing the kitsune that used to cling to him. Rin, as expected simply smiled at the affectionate insult, returning her attention to her meal.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha glanced out the corner of his eye, Takara standing at Sesshomaru's side, leaning down and whispering almost inaudibly in his slightly pointed ear, though the Half-demon could still hear the servant's words to his lord.

"I have something I think we should discuss," Takara whispered. Sesshomaru looked at him.  
"And it must be now?" he asked. Takara flickered a glance Inuyasha's way, the Half-demon's eyes immediately tracked on his food once more, shovelling more into his mouth to not look suspicious (his stomach-ache and sickness thankfully nowhere in sight any longer). "Yes, My Lord, I would advise it to be as soon as possible."  
"Very well," answered Sesshomaru gathering himself to his feet gracefully, bowing his head in apology to those at the table, before disappearing beyond the door with Takara. Inuyasha frowned. _I wonder what they're up to,_ pondered Inuyasha absently, finishing his dinner at last.

"Ya know there may be something to eating food slowly," he said, more to himself and Rin than anybody else, _'Lord High and Mighty'_ was right about something, I guess."

Rin smiled at him, still not finished her meal.

"How dare you disrespect Lord Sesshomaru in such a manner you insolent Half-breed?" The little toad shouted, Inuyasha raised a brow at him  
"Nah, go choke on yourself you scummy little toad," Inuyasha shot at him.  
"Why you-"  
"-Don't talk like that to Lord Inuyasha, Master Jaken or I'll tell Lord Sesshomaru when he comes back!" Rin cut across the little green-demon, and if possible, Jaken went pale, and silent. The Half-demon snorted into his glass as he drank some more water, having a little grass-up on _his_ side as opposed to against him for once definitely was different, though when it came down to it, he supposed Rin and Shippo weren't all that different at heart. _Shippo,_ he thought distantly, _I wonder how that little runt is doing…_

"There is a beautiful garden of night blooming jasmines in one of the castle courtyards, Lord Inuyasha," chimed Rin, rousing Inuyasha from his thoughts, still a little surprised at being address with such cheer all the time. "If Lord Sesshomaru lets me stay out until the sun goes down I could show them to you."  
"Keh, like I'd wanna see some girly crap like that," he muttered, though Rin kept smiling, obviously seeing through his rough exterior. _Why not_, Inuyasha thought, _she sees straight through that cold-hearted bastard, Sesshomaru…_

"But they're so special, My Lord," she continued. A smile twitched at the corners of Inuyasha's mouth. Home just wasn't a home without an annoying yet endearing little brat. "They only bloom twice a month, when the moon is full and when the moon is in shadow."

Inuyasha swallowed hard, hurting his throat dully. _'When the moon is in shadow…' _

It had only just struck him, it all made sense. Demon foods weren't bad for him, they was good for him, nutritious, but he'd been under Sesshomaru's charge, and falling in and out of consciousness so regularly he hadn't been able to keep track, he hadn't realised until then… The demon food disagreed with his stomach, and made him sick because he was on the verge of his human transformation – the night of the new moon was mere moments away, and he was still in Sesshomaru's castle.

* * *

"Hasten your words, Takara, I dare not leave Inuyasha alone in there with Jaken and Rin, he may just kill them both, and that irritating little toad will most certainly put his foot in it."  
"Forgive me, My Lord," Takara said quickly, bowing low. Sesshomaru gestured for the Dark-haired-demon to rise to his feet, which he did, again hastily. "There is not much time, My Lord. I regret it took me longer than I would like to discover, but I have realised the reason for Inuyasha's odd reaction to the demon foods."

The Demon lord arched a brow. "Continue."  
"It appears that every Half-demon experiences some time where they are rendered completely powerless – completely _human_."

Sesshomaru remained unfazed. "Indeed, that much we already knew, both Inuyasha and I used this fact against Naraku when we, along with his mortal companions defeated him. Please, do continue."

Takara nodded, slightly out of breath still, suggesting that he'd run all the way down to the dinner hall. _Explaining why he was absent from the table,_ Sesshomaru thought absently, before the demon spoke once more.

"I have reason to believe, that this, combined with his odd behaviour and my calculations that Inuyasha's cycle, heat and transformations revolve somehow around each other, are all proof that tonight, the night of the new moon, is Lord Inuyasha's time of weakness. I am not sure how long this time lasts however, or how often it occurs. Only Inuyasha himself would know…"

It took a moment for Sesshomaru to take all of those words in, his servant having divulged it all very quickly, almost too quickly to understand properly. And yet, somehow, he comprehended it perfectly, it was just a little…_shocking_. Indeed, he had not expected Inuyasha entrust him with this information, but surely, if his time was upon him, he would have told him, or perhaps…he was too afraid to…?

A thousand or more questions erupted in his suddenly very crowded mind. Did he fear his reaction? Would he look different as a human? Would he smell as offensive as some mortals did? How long would it last? Hours? Weeks? Months? And if it was a secret (which was undoubtedly true) then how would he conceal the smell of a human from the demons populating the castle? How would Inuyasha _behave_ during this time? How would he react to the transformation? Would it hurt him? How would he feel about his secret being discovered by someone, who, up until recently, was trying to kill him? Then it struck him. If Inuyasha's transformation was tonight, then it was little more than moments away.

Immediately Sesshomaru darted from Takara's side without a word, (save for a polite, appreciative nod in his direction) returning swiftly to the dinner hall. Golden eyes scanned the table, and his heart stopped for one, brief moment. "Lord Sesshomaru," chirped Rin, "Lord Inuyasha, he just ran out of here all of a sudden, is he alright? Lord Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha was gone? The Demon lord's chest tightened with that dreaded emotion almost as irritating as guilt – anxiety – worry, for Inuyasha. Inuyasha was gone. But where? Why?

TBC

A/N: Sorry AGAIN for the cliffie, I'm going to hit myself now for it *hits self* crap that hurt XD Anywas, Ni, not quite as long as my other chapters but not neccessarily short. The updates for this fic are actually quite long for me, my average update length is like 15 to 18 Microsoft Word Pages ^_^ Anyway **LEMON NEXT CHAPTER!** Don't ask How I did it but there will be smut next chapter, so be anticipating it, muahahaha, review to get the smut! *chu*

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	10. Lost From Within

Important note!: There was originally a 'sex scene' or lemon in this story. To view the chapter with the sex scenes, please view this story at . The story is called (Welcome to) My Fraternal Romance on there also and my author name is the same. Hope you enjoy whichever version ^_^

**Chapter Ten  
Lost From Within**

Sesshomaru swiftly excused Rin from the dinner table, bidding her go take her evening bath before departing once more. He had to find Inuyasha. _His emotions have been strangely even more unstable that usual,_ he thought, sniffing the air lightly, and following his little brother's scent up the stairs, _it is due to this transformation. Who knows what he might do with those unbalanced emotions, panic and fear of being discovered combined…_

Inuyasha's heart hammered against his chest, breath escaping his mouth in ragged pants, grating against his throat. His transformation was approaching swiftly – he could feel his demonic powers fading, and he was already feeling that all-too human exhaustion overcoming him. Not knowing what to do or where to go had his mind racing and blood surging through him with panic. He didn't know what to do, all he knew was he had to do _something_.

Guards were gathered too tightly around the exits for him to be able to sneak through with his measly human abilities; he was trapped inside – inside _Sesshomaru's_ castle.

_Sesshomaru,_ he thought, golden eyes still scanning the torchlight hall, searching for a hiding place, _he's gonna kill me if he smells my human scent – he's gonna kill me for staining his __**stupid**__ bloodline with my human transformations – heck he'll just kill me for stinking up his castle with 'human' – he makes Rin bathe so often I'm surprised she has any skin left!_

The panic had full control over him now; he was still in that hall, gazing confusedly about for a hiding place. He could almost smell Sesshomaru nearby. He had to get moving.

Staring down in horror at his now blunt nails, he seized a handful of his hair – it was still silver – his transformation had only just started. Darting into the nearest room, Inuyasha swore under his breath at the lack of light. He stumbled through the darkness, stubbing his toe on the edge of what he could vaguely make out as a bed with the aid of the moonlight creeping in through the ornate shutters. Leaping over the bed, the _half-demon_ slammed onto the floor the other side, lying flat on his stomach and scooting under the bed.

Harsh breath beat against the floor, disturbing his own hair that swirled beneath him, though he could not see if it had gone black yet or not, the mediocre light serving no purpose while he was under the furniture.

Suddenly he winced in discomfort, shaking his head slightly at the unsettling sensation of his fangs retreating back up into his gums, accompanied by silver dog ears sliding eerily down his face, morphing into what he knew to be normal human ears. Golden eyes blinked as they were overcome by a blurry haze, the dimness surrounding him suddenly becoming completely black, as his demon sight failed him, and his useless human senses took over. In that instance he felt blind and deaf at the same time, and like someone was holding a cloth over his nose. He was helpless. He was human.

Gradually, his ragged breathing calmed, and he fell into a foreboding, quiet uneasiness. His dull human ears could sense movement beyond the closed door, it was Sesshomaru, he just knew it. _Hopefully he doesn't recognize my human scent,_ Inuyasha mentally prayed, as he heard the door open.

Shuffling footsteps, unlike Sesshomaru's entered the room, and by the sounds of it the '_someone_' was dragging something behind it. He frowned, listening intently with useless ears until, all of a sudden, the room lit up. Twisting his body a little, as quietly as he could, Inuyasha watched as the servant stoked the fire fully, her back to him. He swallowed nervously, this was someone's room, and he was trapped under their bed. _I have to get out,_ he thought, panicked once more, _the servant will leave, and then I'll get out before they…_

"In here Lady Rin, it is time for bed."

Inuyasha could have smacked his head against the floor in dismay. Of all the rooms in the castle, he waltzed straight into Rin's – _Rin's_! He watched the servant disappear out of the doorway, then observing Rin and Nannami's feet carefully, making sure he kept well out of sight. _Nannami can't smell me,_ he realised, perhaps the rich scent of bath oils that undoubtedly still lingered around Rin masked his scent? He wasn't sure, but that seemed the most plausible explanation, and any scents underlying that would simply be dismissed as a general _human_ smell, and would be brought down to Rin. He was safe, for now…

"Nannami-sensei?" he heard Rin's voice question, "could you light another tonight?"

Inuyasha frowned at her words, shifting noiselessly, inclining his head to look up, spying Nannami lighting seven joss-sticks on the elegantly dressed shrine over the mantle.  
"Why the extra, Lady Rin, you always only ask for seven?" He could sense the knowing smirk in Nannami's voice, suggesting she knew the reason already.  
"I think we should light one for Lord Inuyasha too," the girl said simply. Recalling what they symbolized, Inuyasha's frown intensified. She was praying for his health and happiness? _Stupid girl,_ he thought, uselessly trying to quash the sudden surge of warmth within his anxious chest. _So now there are eight sticks,_ he thought, watching Nannami light another at Rin's request, so who're the others for?

"Will that be all, Lady Rin?" Nannami asked, though with the air of a parent, not a handmaid. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, just envisioning that silly smile on the little girl's face. Rin must have nodded in answer to the question because he watched Nannami bow politely, before departing the room, leaving the once Half-demon alone in the room with the unknowing girl.

_Great,_ he thought, tapping his fingers impatiently on the floor, _now I have to wait 'til she falls asleep to get outta here._ Moments passed, and he remained agonisingly still, watching the thin wisps of smoke rise from the lit joss-sticks, a mystery that still puzzled him…that was all that amused him as he lay there, more bored and numb from being so still than anything else.

Sesshomaru wasn't looking for him obviously, or he would have found him already… He gnawed his lip defiantly, disliking the way his heart sank slightly at the notion. Then suddenly, he heard Rin speak once more, but to herself this time, his human hearing just tuning into her words half way through, and he swallowed nervously upon realising what she was saying…

"…and please look after Mother and Father in heaven, and us down here. Please take care of Nannami-sensei and Takara-san, Ah-Uhn and Master Jaken." Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly, she was…praying? A futile act that brought men to their knees needlessly (in his way of thinking) but still…even demons prayed to gods, and he had to wonder, which gods she was praying to, the mortal Gods, or the demon Gods… But still, the most important realisation came to the forefront of his mind – how_ personal_ prayers were, and how he _really_ shouldn't be hearing this, though he had no choice.

"And make sure you take care of Lord Sesshomaru, because he always looks after me, and don't let anything bad ever ever happen to him," she continued quietly. Inuyasha swallowed hard once more. Was this kid for real? Was she really praying for the same demon he knew? _He must've been nice to her,_ his mind suggested as the girl in the bed above continued to speak. "And help Lord Inuyasha to settle into his new home here, and help him feel happy here with me and Lord Sesshomaru, so he won't be lonely anymore. Arigatou-gozaimasu…"

Inuyasha damn near choked on his adam's apple at the last part. She had prayed – for _him_, aside from his mother (and possibly Kagome, though he wasn't too sure) no one had ever bothered to pray for his health and happiness, and yet this girl…this _strange_ girl, she had. And he had barely known her a few days worth. _She's fricken' nuts,_ he thought, though even he could sense the affection in that, without even saying it aloud. _Damn it_, he growled mentally, _I guess I like her…_

Then there was still the ever-prominent question – how was he going to get out from under her bed? No sooner had he begun to panic at the painful numbness now swimming through his body, than his noise crinkled forebodingly. His hands clapped to his mouth but it was too late. He sneezed. He heard Rin freeze on the bed above, hearing her shift slowly, weight pressing to the edge of the bed, and she hung down, her upside-down face watching him curiously (obviously not recognizing him), and she screamed.

Inuyasha leapt out from under the bed, seizing her and clamping a currently clawless hand over her mouth, muffling her cries. His heart had leapt into his throat, praying no one had heard. She blinked up at him in terror. He held a finger to his lips, shushing her. "It's me, Inuyasha, I can't explain but I…I'm different tonight, okay?" he gasped breathlessly. She nodded swiftly, that trademark smile drifting back to her face slowly.

"Why were you under my bed, Lord Inuyasha?"  
"I errr…" he didn't know how to explain it to her, how could a little kid understand? "I was hiding…I don't want Sesshomaru to see me like this."

She frowned slightly, but before she could ask any more questions, he headed her off with one of his own. "Rin, who are the joss-sticks for?"

The human girl blinked at him once more, turning to gaze at them. "Oh, those? Lord Sesshomaru, Takara, Nannami-sensei, Lord Inu-no-Taishou, Lady Izayoi, Lord Sesshomaru's mother, my mother and father and you, My Lord." She sounded so casual, as if it was a perfectly normal answer. Inuyasha quirked a brow at her simply put response  
"B-But…you've never met mine or Sesshomaru's parents…"

She shrugged, crawling back into bed, quite unbothered by his presence in her bedroom. "They must have been good people, and they are important to you and Lord Sesshomaru, so they are important to me…"

Inuyasha's dark eyes widened slightly. _She…she doesn't,_ his mind paused mid-thought, flushing in embarrassment slightly at the mere prospect of it, _she doesn't see me and Sesshomaru as her…her new parents does she? – Oh lord she better not…_

Suddenly the two humans leapt apart as the door swung open, the light from the hall resting against the silhouette of a slightly ruffled Sesshomaru framed in the doorway. Inuyasha yelped, falling back off the bed in his haste to escape, his head colliding nastily with the drawers standing there, bringing flashes of white pain to his eyes as he massaged the back of his head in agony.

The Demon Lord gazed at Rin, and seeing she was alright, regarded the odd creature that had thrown itself off the bed too quickly for him to get a look at. He leapt forwards, seizing him by the throat, holding him up off the ground. Watching mortal hands come to the clawed fingers around his throat, he relished in the feel of the obsidian-haired-human spluttering and gasping for breath.

"Wait Lord Sesshomaru-"  
"-Silence Rin-"  
"-Se-Sess-Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha managed out, wincing in agony, toes struggling to find some kind of ground beneath his feet. "I-It's me!" Almost immediately, Inuyasha saw recognition flash across golden eyes. The grip around his throat faltered, in favour of capturing his wrists in those enraged clawed hands. "W-What're you-!"  
"-SILENCE!" Sesshomaru bellowed, baring his fangs to the slightly cowering human, dragging him from the room, almost colliding with Nannami who had come to see what the fuss was about. "Take care of Rin!" the Demon lord ordered her, tugging a struggling Inuyasha through the hall. Each futile attempt to wrench his wrists free were rewarded with an even tighter grip, causing the once-half-demon to cry out, but Sesshomaru ignored him – he was furious.

The door to Sesshomaru's chambers flew open, and Inuyasha was thrown carelessly inside. Gasping for breath, the younger brother scrambled backwards, retreating to the wall, dark eyes wide and unwillingly fearful of the demon lord that stood across from him. Inuyasha's subdued demon blood growled in fury; Sesshomaru was showing his true colours again at last. Slamming the door shut behind him, the Demon advanced dangerously slow, a malicious glint of pure fury brewing behind crimson tainted eyes.

"Do you _know_ how long I have been searching for you?" Sesshomaru growled menacingly, claws hissing with poison at his side. Inuyasha didn't answer. "Takara told me he guessed tonight was the time you fell prey to your human blood – when I returned to the dinner hall, you were gone, and here you are, clawless, fangless – _defenceless,_ so I presume Takara's guess was correct?"

Sesshomaru knelt down gracefully before him, eyes falling back to their usual golden hue as a hand extended to him. Inuyasha recoiled, turning his face away with eyes tightly shut in a flinch. The older brother watched him with a bizarre emotion in his eyes, the hand pausing a moment, before continuing to brush the rogue strands of obsidian hair from his currently mortal brother's face. Inuyasha gazed at him nervously from the corner of his eye, watching those clawed fingers apprehensively as they ran gently through his hair, the Demon lord evidently admiring, or more likely taking in his new look, deciding whether he liked it or not.

Admiring the still very silky texture to his little brother's hair, Sesshomaru swept aside the onyx tresses to brush his fingertips over the curve of the very human ear. Having enough of being touched, Inuyasha swatted that roaming hand away, some of his attitude returning upon realising Sesshomaru wasn't going to kill him – _yet_ anyway. "Keep your hands to yourself, Jackass."

The Demon lord pulled back slightly, still watching him. "Still the same inside this new appearance, evidently," he muttered, gathering himself to his feet. "Feel free to manoeuvre yourself to the bed, Inuyasha; I imagine it is more comfortable than the floor – remembering that my promise to not take you still stands after all." It seemed that reminding Inuyasha of that promise never failed to reassure him, as no sooner had he turned his back to search the cabinet across the room, than he sensed Inuyasha make his slow, cautious way towards the bed.

Finding the bottle he was looking for, Sesshomaru brought it and two glasses from the cabinet, closing the glass door before moving towards the ever-apprehensive male sitting on the edge of the bed, watching him distrustfully. "I am aware that this _time_ of yours is secret," he began in his usual monotone, pouring some of the contents of the bottle into the two glasses. "This will serve to soothe your anxiety, however," he paused, placing the bottle to the side, handing a glass to Inuyasha, who didn't take it, "it also has a strong, sweet smell, which will cover up the faint odour of your human scent in the castle."

The obsidian-haired-male sneered, though took the glass. "Figures you wouldn't want me _stinking_ up your damn castle," he growled, taking a sip only when he'd watched his brother do so with his own drink.  
"I care not; it is not as offensive as it might have been. Your human smell is quite…appealing – although not as pleasing as your natural scent, it might be noted."

Inuyasha snorted, shuddering as he downed several more sips of the drink. "Keh, that your attempt at a complement?" But he recieved no answer, and offered his brother another suspecting scowl in return for his silence, "What _is_ this stuff anyway?"  
"It is _wine_ Inuyasha, what did you think it was? Poison?"  
"Well it wouldn't be a shock if it was," he answered bitterly, eyes flickering to Sesshomaru's currently dormant claws.

A silence fell between them then, and Inuyasha downed what remained of his glass, shuddering slightly at the potency of it, though licked his lips unconsciously in any case, gathering the sweetness off his lips before setting the glass aside. Sesshomaru said nothing, but was nevertheless amused at his little brother's newly discovered liking for the alcoholic beverage.

"Why did you run?" asked Sesshomaru simply, still not finished with his first serving of the drink, even as he watched Inuyasha helping himself to another – attempting to rouse Sesshomaru's temper, though he didn't. He didn't care, Inuyasha could have what he wanted, he'd said as much, though Inuyasha obviously hadn't believed the sincerity behind those words.  
"Why do you _think_ I ran, Idiot?"  
"I am not aware," the Demon lord answered simply, "That is why I am asking."

Inuyasha drank swiftly from his glass before answering. "Because you hate humans – and tonight is my human night."  
"So you thought I would kill you, is that correct, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked, voice still its usual monotone. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.  
"Well yeah, I wonder where I got that idea from? Perhaps 'cause you've been telling me you'll kill me for the last two centuries!"  
"Do not drag up the past in favour of excusing your needless cowardice," Sesshomaru replied complacently.  
"Screw you!" retorted the younger brother, anger brewing within his swiftly rising tones, "you just – did you just say _'needless'_? As in-"  
"-I was not gong to kill you, Inuyasha. I told you, I wish for you to stay here, and as for what purpose you already know. Explain to me how you would serve that purpose whilst dead?" he spat, a slither of exasperation seeping into his words now. But Inuyasha offered no answer as he struggled to stifle a hiccup, refilling his glass once more. Sesshomaru inhaled heavily, watching Inuyasha pour more wine into his glass carefully, though saying nothing, he wasn't going to risk rousing Inuyasha's temper when he'd finally got him to quieten.

Inuyasha was going to get drunk at this rate, or perhaps (thanks to his ridiculously low tolerance and weak human blood) he already was, he wasn't sure. "Keh," Inuyasha murmured between gulps of wine, slightly dazed eyes not meeting Sesshomaru's intense gold, which were watching him unwaveringly. "Like I care what you think," the almost indecipherable words lead the Demon lord to the one conclusion that he both dreaded and longed for – Inuyasha was drunk.

"Y-You're not even being nice to me because you want to! You're doing it to get your end away! It's all a lie!"

Sesshomaru regarded him impassively, sipping lightly from his first and only glass so far. "It is not a lie, Inuyasha. I have told you what I want from you, and I am giving you what you tell me you want in return. Does that bother you?" he asked simply. Inuyasha downed the remainder of his drink, slinging it to the side carelessly, the glass shattering as it came it slammed into the wall. Fragments shuddered to the floor as the brothers watched each other with bated breath, the Half-demon panting, a drunken flush dusting over his suddenly very boyish features.

"It bothers me!" Inuyasha screamed, on his knees on the bed, for that one brief moment his enraged body towering over Sesshomaru's. "It bothers me that my only relative is abusing and using me like some common _whore_! You're supposed to _love_ me! You're supposed to love the person you wanna have a family with otherwise what's the damn _point_?"

Sesshomaru looked a little taken a back – if only a little. It may have been under a drunken stupor, but Inuyasha was ranting and raving about his feelings – his _true_ feelings, unbridled by embarrassment or pride, and when thrown at him like that, it was…astounding.

Burning eyes finally gazed at him, nowhere else, undistracted by memory of the priestess or fear. He was looking at him directly, inebriated and distraught with emotion, as if expecting a reaction – or an answer…

"Just as I thought…you want to be loved, don't you? That longing for the priestess's affection – both times, such a foolish pursuit for a worthless emotion..." A mistake, Sesshomaru realised, even before the words had fallen completely from his lips. Inuyasha snarled, leaping forwards, shoving the unsuspecting Demon Lord backwards, almost off the edge of the bed. Recovering swiftly, Sesshomaru seized weak human wrists, curving the 'human' back, overpowering him – soaring above him.

"So what's so wrong with it? Can't a stupid half-breed that doesn't belong anywhere want love if he can't have it? Am I some stupid mongrel to be laid down and taken by anyone that is _forgiving enough_ to take me like a dog? You want these…these _intimate_ things with me but you don't deserve them because they're something you should only share with someone you love!"  
"A typical fairytale…no doubt a lasting illusion that mortal wench told you of her and father's idealistic suicide romance-"  
"-OUR FATHER LOVED MY MOTHER – HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE FOR YOU TO REALISE THAT?"  
"Perhaps…he did become rather ridiculously insane towards the end… to fall in 'love' with that woman."

Inuyasha screamed, useless fists struggling free – if only to strike that smug look from the Demon lord's face. "See – See this is the real you! The bastard that spits out spiteful things _no one_ should have to hear-"  
"-It is called _life_, Inuyasha – life is cruel-"  
"-You IDIOT you have NO idea! You prissy prick with the good looks and the riches and the pure blood – AND THE ACCEPTANCE! You don't know what _'suffering'_ is! You don't know what its like to lose the only person that every loved you over and over again! You give me all this stick about humans but guess what _'Your Lordship'_ – YOU LOVE A HUMAN GIRL!"

Sesshomaru sneered, his grip around Inuyasha's wrists tightening almost unbearably, but Inuyasha didn't care. The alcohol in his system made him feel invincible…he didn't care if Sesshomaru was getting angry because for once – he was right. And Sesshomaru hated that he'd been caught out.

"You hypocritical bastard – I don't know why but that little girl loves you so much she begs the gods for you to be happy – and you love her! If you love a scrawny little brat why can't you love me?" A silence struck them, a deafening truth dawning upon the siblings, both frozen in place.  
"Because," Sesshomaru simply, still immobile, "I am not a slave to such a trivial emotion. Our father loved both his mates – my mother and yours and he perished, you loved your priestesses, and they are gone too, Rin, she loved her family, and they were butchered like cattle. I will not sacrifice myself for such a worthless cause." The Demon Lord paused, evidently realising he was revealing more than he'd possibly expressed in his entire life – which was a long time.

"Feel free to 'love' me, Inuyasha, though do not expect it in return, I am afraid that that is the one thing I cannot offer you – because I do not believe it exists… Humans, Demons…all creatures on this earth lose themselves completely to it, without ever realising what it is… I know what it is…it is a fraud and a lie – it is not real."  
"Then what the hell is this shit with Rin?"  
"It is not up to me to explain myself to you, Inuyasha-"  
"-Well who is it up to then? Takara – that poor guy'd lick your ass if you asked him, get him to do everything you're too damn _scared_ to do-"  
"-Do not tempt me to silence you, Inuyasha…" Sesshomaru threatened, voice low, dangerous.

Inuyasha growled, wrenching his arms free, the powerful motion sending him reeling back onto the bed. Recovering, the Obsidian-haired-human shot back up.  
"Please do," Inuyasha warned, "you smack me with that hand one more time I'll damn well bite it off whether it costs me my _teeth_!"  
"It undoubtedly would-"  
"-Shut up!" Those words had barely uttered past his lips, when he darted forwards, seizing Sesshomaru's glass from his hand and guzzling down the contents swiftly.

The Demon Lord merely watched, his expression devoid of emotion but his inner self phased with a mix between surprise and amusement. Again, Inuyasha tossed the glass aside, the glass shattering carelessly alongside its twin. The _Half-demon_ leant forwards, clawless hands resting either side of Sesshomaru's hips, as his forehead met the underneath of his older brother's chin. "I hate you," Inuyasha growled, grazing blunt teeth hard over the Demon Lord's throat, rousing a reluctant, shuddering gasp from his lips.

"I hate the way you talk to me," Inuyasha murmured huskily, "I hate the things you do to me… I hate the things I feel when I'm with you…"

Pulling back a little, Inuyasha met those eyes. Sesshomaru remained impassive he watched the passion that had appeared from nowhere drown the anger that had mere moments before, burned so furiously in his brother's eyes. Was this what Inuyasha meant by not knowing which his true face was? Well Sesshomaru didn't know which one was Inuyasha, and which one was the wine, all he knew was he preferred this one much more…

Sesshomaru lay still, not really sure what he was supposed to do (only sure what he wanted to do) as the human's mouth, red with the globule of wine that had spilled past his lips moved with sexily slurred words, youthful golden eyes alight with intoxicated fervency. "I hate that it feels so good…" Arms snaked around the Demon's neck, raking blunt nails into his shoulders through his silk kimono that clung to him with sweat. But Sesshomaru remained motionless – he had promised after all, and Inuyasha hadn't asked, if there was one thing Sesshomaru inherited from the Great Dog Demon, it was the sense of honour in giving your word…

"But I hate it even more when it stops…" Those final words purred in his slightly pointed ear, capturing the flesh between dull teeth, urging a reaction from him, but none came. He pulled back, watching him almost petulantly. "What the heck is up with you?"  
"What a ridiculous question, given our situation…" Sesshomaru answered huskily. Inuyasha tilted his head to the side a little in momentary confusion, the innuendo taking a few extra moments to register in a mind under the influence.  
"Besides your dick you-" The words were cut off by a clawed thumb pressing gently against his lower lip, parting his mouth gently as well as silencing him.

"You have yet to ask, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru murmured, his words barely audible, "and be sure to ask nicely…"

Inuyasha growled, eyeing him dangerously – Sesshomaru was teasing him, and he was gonna milk this moment for all it was worth. "I'd rather jerk off…"  
"Please do," The Demon Lord whispered. Inuyasha groaned as Sesshomaru tried to shift backwards slightly, the last of his self-restraint falling away to animal instinct.  
"You're not supposed to say that…" he growled, causing a smirk to flitter briefly across Sesshomaru's lips.  
"You were supposed to ask-"  
"-Do I have to?" That coquettish whisper shuddered through wine-stained lips, caressing the Demon Lord's ears. Inuyasha squeezed his thighs either side of Sesshomaru's hips, drawing his arms back from round his neck and brushing his kimono off very unceremoniously. Sesshomaru's eyes travelled down to watch the clothing draw back to reveal honey-hued, sweaty flesh, as Inuyasha tossed them aside carelessly, looking back at him as if checking if he was willing to comply. He was _more_ than willing – he just couldn't…

"A few trifling words cannot be a high price for sating your wanton needs, can they, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha groaned, grinding his hips into Sesshomaru's in frustration. "I…I…" His whimpering words were swallowed by a desperate gasp as he rested his head against Sesshomaru's chest drunkenly, his human body exhausted though still unsatisfied. "I… Gods – Just touch me…"

Again, that sinisterly pleased smirk crossed the Demon Lord's lips. "I beg your pardon, Little brother?" he asked impassively, reminding the 'human' of the main barrier he saw between them, shrugging out of his kimono slowly.  
"Touch me – _please_ – Take me!" The desperate hoarseness in his voice drew Sesshomaru's hands to his nether-regions, running tediously slow motions over him. However much he would have liked to tease him more, and draw the begging out when he was so willing to comply, he was almost as desperate for intimacy as Inuyasha's breathless mortal body, and he couldn't wait any longer.

Inuyasha gasped as he fell back into the cushions, those hands upon him before he could recover, tracing the fine contours of his arching, willing body. Sesshomaru dived down to smash his hungry mouth against parted, wine-stained lips, tasting him, devouring him. The Obsidian-haired-boy tilted his head back slightly, leaning up into the kiss. It felt odd, but when he was human it didn't feel so…so _wrong_…it didn't feel like they were brothers at all…it felt…_good_…

Their mouths broke apart, each gasping for air. Human hands knotted into silvery-locks, keeping him from straying too far as their eyes locked determinedly, Inuyasha searching the Demon for some smidgen of affection; lust mingled with some unnamed emotion that Inuyasha couldn't pin-point, but he knew it wasn't love…

The scent of the wine mixed with sweat and arousal, clouded their minds. Sesshomaru leant down, his mouth brushing Inuyasha's barely, that little pink tongue darting out to lick the Demon lord's mouth enticingly, trying to coerce him back to a kiss. But those lips shimmered away, latching onto his throat hungrily, sucking feverishly against the vulnerable flesh. "Did you know, Inuyasha that a wine's taste adapts from things around it?" Sesshomaru asked almost hazily, words vibrating against the fresh bruising, licking it gently.

A cry of negation fell past the human's lips as the dominant male left him momentarily, but he returned swiftly, that body heat overshadowing his own. Violet eyes opened slowly, just as Sesshomaru tipped the bottle up in his hand, the cold wine escaping and dribbling down his sternum. A curtain of silver hair cast down upon him, the gentle movements of Sesshomaru's head causing the strands to brush teasingly over his sensitive flesh. Just as the wine attempted escape towards his navel, the Demon Lord inclined his head to lick the beverage off Inuyasha's body. "Truly amazing," he murmured hazily, "it appears the scent of it does the same also… What delectable morsel have I under my mercy here…?"

Feeling a wetness pool on the sheets where their bodies united as a result of the Inuyasha regaining his half-demon form, Sesshomaru jumped slightly, wincing and hissing as claws raked viciously into his back, and he opened his eyes, staring down into the face of a full-demon Inuyasha. He growled quietly under his breath, the noise not helping to soothe the trapped _full-demon_, who snarled in response, despite their _situation_, elongated fangs racing towards the Demon Lord's throat. The most startling thing had happened. In the midst of their coupling, Inuyasha had reverted back to his half-demon body, but somehow, the full-demon had assumed his life was in danger and had leapt into control. Except when he had that control, he fought Sesshomaru for more passion, not for escape. The connections of their bodies did not once break and Sesshomaru growled out his pleasure as Inuyasha's demon took it's pound of flesh.

At last, a strangely sated look crossed the features of Inuyasha's demon, allowing himself to pull away from Sesshomaru it seemed, only when he'd been sure his dominant partner was finished. Instinct, seemed to let this part of Inuyasha know (even if Inuyasha himself didn't) that Sesshomaru had control – _power_ over him, and especially now, he was to obey both their thirsts.

Those blood-stained fangs, compelled by the now no more than an aching, throbbing gash on his shoulder, descended swiftly on Sesshomaru's flesh, startling the Demon Lord from his oblivion. Sesshomaru looked down in shock, as he felt the piercing intrusion of Inuyasha's fangs in his side, just above the crimson markings adorning his hips. But when Inuyasha pulled back, the blood – _his_ blood that stained his lips, in no way resembled his eyes, which shimmered back to gold once more.

Obviously confused, Inuyasha frowned hazily, going through four transformations in one night thrusting disorientating exhaustion upon him, the at last _Half-demon_ gazed around swiftly, before staring at Sesshomaru. He frowned even more so, if possible, wiping the blood from his mouth, his body swaying slightly. It was Sesshomaru who frowned this time, as he sat up, watching Inuyasha's mouth open and close noiselessly a few times in a row, as if he were trying to speak. But his arms shot forwards, capturing the Half-demon's body before he fell forwards, eyes closed sleepily against the room.

"All the better," Sesshomaru thought aloud, his hand clapping to the no longer bleeding gash in his side. He was not looking forward to the tantrum Inuyasha was undoubtedly going to throw in the morning, when he discovered, that they were mated – for life._ And by his own hand also,_ Sesshomaru mentally added with a smirk.

Too tired to think of how he was going to keep Inuyasha from darting off into the forest again, Sesshomaru set the half-demon down against the bed-covers, pulling off the soiled top cover and tossing it aside carelessly, before resting down on 'his' side of the bed. Dragging the unsoiled sheets over both himself and Inuyasha, the older sibling did not protest or move away when the smaller body curled towards his warmth, an unconscious sigh uttering past the half-demon's lips.

Sleep tugged at his senses, beckoning him forth, though his last lingering thought that stood out amidst the thunderstorm of concerns and matters that had to be dealt with come morning.  
_Bizarre,_ Sesshomaru thought, only just realising, that he had inadvertently had sex with all three of Inuyasha's forms in the same night.

TBC

A/N: **I tried to edit out the sex as best as possible but keep the details in that you needed to see, hope it was ok. if you're old enough you can read the full chapter on AdultFanfiction to see if the fuller version is better. This sex scene was one of my favourites I must admit. Anyway... **If anyone says Inuyasha was out of character, yeah he was, but he was drunk, alcohol is a b*tch, it does things to ya XD Now wasn't that sweet and mushy? XD And smexy, don't forget that also! Lols, I really wanted to do a human inu x Sess scene, so here it is muhahahaha... it ended up somewhere splendirferously kinky and yummy... Was it good? Oh, and did ya like the Rin scene lols. I felt fluffy and fuzziful lmao. And now I am hyper, watching the Gravitation OVA whilst typing this, after a hard day of cleaning the house from top to bottom lol. Review if you have time please?

Translations:  
-sensei - is a japanese addage that usually is used by younger people towards their 'teachers' - this can be teachers within the classroom or in a dojo etc. Used the same way as '-san' and '-sama'.

-san - Well I guess you all know this one, but i'll say it anyway, it's a polite addage the japanese use that would be interpreted as 'Miss' or 'Mr' etc.

Arigatou-gozaimasu - Means Thank you very much, generally used for more polite versions of 'thankyou' which is simply 'arigatou'

Danke! (lols, the girl does japanese and german XD) Neways, Reviews please wonderful readers and I will update asap.

Love  
Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	11. Bound at Every Limb

Author's Note:  
**There is an 'almost lemon' in this chapter which I have had to remove. To read the story/chapter with full sexual content, please find me at or Mediaminer under the username Shigure-san. LINKS ON MY PROFILE PAGE!**

I'll give you two chapters today to make up for the lack of one 3 days ago :D  
Enjoy and reviews are much appreciated!  
**  
**

**Chapter Eleven  
Bound At Every Limb**

The sunlight filtering through the annoyingly open shutters glared against his closed eyelids, making the usually blissful blackness fall away to almost painful red blurs. Inuyasha groaned, tumbling from his slumber, unusually desperate for a little more, and pawed his sleepy eyes with a wide yawn. An aching weight had descended upon his body, and it caused him to wince. His thick lashes fluttered, his eyes opening.

Inuyasha shifted, golden eyes adjusting to the light streaming in through the shutters, attempting to scan the room. He growled reproachfully at the morning's sun, seizing the draperies that hung around his side of the bed and yanking them closed roughly. He sighed with contentment as a welcomed dimness settled about him once more. Suddenly a shooting pain pulsed through his head, and a second growl passed his lips. The half-demon rested his elbow on his knee and pressed his forehead hard against the palm of his hand, attempting to alleviate the throbbing ache. _What the hell is going on? My head…and my… _

Suddenly he froze, heart thumping madly in his chest. His eyes shot open. Not daring to look towards the subtle motion he'd felt at his side, he remained there, praying for any recollection of the night before. Everything hurt, a fierce aching agony seizing his stomach, head and entrance, while that horrible weighted feeling wore at the rest of his body, the pain not remotely distracting him from the trepidation that took hold of him as he began to turn his head towards the movement at his side.

The dimness around them left pale skin practically glowing, crimson-lidded eyes closed almost peacefully to the world as Sesshomaru's naked torso rose and fell with unconscious breath. He'd never looked so at ease and harmless, (and even Inuyasha had to admit) beautiful, and yet Inuyasha felt his unresponsive limbs bunch to flee. Sesshomaru was asleep, a rare sight in itself, why hadn't he awoken before him?

Then the Half-demon's nose curled at the metallic scent of blood looming heavily around them, golden eyes straining as they widened even further in horror, at the crimson fluids staining sheets around them, covering Sesshomaru's side that he wasn't lying on. Without thinking what he was doing, Inuyasha leant over, right arm resting for support on the bed over the sleeping male's side and he frowned at the blood-stained flesh. His left hand ghosted over the mark, though not touching it – not _daring_ to, mouth open in a mix of awe and fear. It was a bite mark, and there was no mistaking his nose either, there was nothing here but the scents of Sesshomaru and himself, so he had done it? But… _Last night I was human,_ Inuyasha argued with himself, recalling vividly the embarrassing catastrophe beneath the human girl's bed. _So how could I have… What's…_

The scent of sex surrounded them, and his stomach lurched again, painfully. Had Sesshomaru raped him last night? He couldn't remember, and what confused him all the more was the presence of the lingering scents of all three of his forms' arousal, as well as Sesshomaru's. _At once? But how?_ His head throbbed again, and he growled in pain, staring in confusion at the bite mark once more. He did not fail to notice the long gashes down Sesshomaru's back, and the scrapes scattered over his throat and collarbone which were nearly healed. "What did I do to him?" he asked himself aloud, his suddenly very lost voice torn between confusion and fear – not only of what Sesshomaru would do in revenge – but of himself.

"I would have thought that would have been obvious, Little brother." Inuyasha jumped, gaze snapping to Sesshomaru, who was staring at him calmly, not moving, but with his head propped up under his hand. "You look so thoroughly confused, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru stated quietly, "could it be that you do not recall last night? Perhaps you cannot handle your wine…"

Inuyasha stared at him, his confusion heightening even more with each word shuddering past his brother's lips. At least one question had been answered though; the wine, that was why his head and stomach hurt so much, and why he still couldn't remember anything…

Sesshomaru felt a smirk tug at the corners of his mouth as he watched Inuyasha withdraw his arm quickly from its place over Sesshomaru's hips, those still very much confused eyes scanning the wounds that littered his body. "Indeed, they are of your infliction," he answered the unvoiced question, drawing Inuyasha's eyes to his face. "Your demon form is quite the vicious lover. So unlike this embarrassed, flushed little half-demon that likes to be taken gently…"

Inuyasha snarled at the hand that groped his right ear slowly, yanking his head away from Sesshomaru's fingers. He regretted the movement almost instantly, thanks to the aching pain shooting over his left shoulder.

This time, Sesshomaru did smirk, forebodingly so, drawing Inuyasha back from rage and slowly drowning him in panic once more. Sensing it, the Demon Lord reached a hand forwards, smoothing his fingers over a flinching Half-demon's cheek, though not as a sign of affection. He smoothed the pad of his thumb over the dried blood under the half-demon's mouth, indicating towards it. Inuyasha stared down at the back his own hand, obviously where he had wiped his mouth last night. His hands shot to his mouth, trying to wipe the blood from his lips in blind panic, hating the taste of it on his tongue that until now he had not made the connection to the potent scent of blood and the crimson stained flesh of his older brother.

Suddenly Inuyasha yelped as Sesshomaru seized his wrists, holding them away from his face so their eyes could meet. With older gold bearing down into the young gaze, a seemingly long silence falling between them until Sesshomaru eventually spoke. "Your human half had a far too low tolerance for alcohol; you drank too much and begged to be taken-"  
"-And you did it? You knew I was drunk and you did it anyway?"  
"You did not leave me much choice-"  
"-You could have ripped my throat out if you'd wanted to last night, so don't give me that crap! You could have stopped me-"  
"-After you begged so nicely? That would have been cruel…"

Inuyasha flushed in embarrassed anger, glaring at Sesshomaru as the demon continued. "Some demonic beverages stimulate arousal, though the one I offered you last night was nothing more than something to calm your jittery human blood down and to conceal your human night from those in the castle. The sudden arousal came from you – all that you have to blame on the alcohol is your loss of memory and the fact that you gave in to your desires easier without those usual, irritating inhibitions."

Before Inuyasha could argue, the Demon Lord leaned forwards, licking the blood from Inuyasha's lips, only smirking at the growl of aggravation that vibrated against his mouth from his sibling. The Half-demon snapped at his brother's roaming tongue, missing it by a hairsbreadth. A smirk met Sesshomaru's lips once more, regarding Inuyasha closely as the Half-demon drew back, struggling for freedom from his grasp.

A yelp sounded from Inuyasha's throat as his back collided with the bed, Sesshomaru restraining his arms above his head with one hand, whilst the other caressed the silver locks resting carelessly around him. This position only served to inflame what Inuyasha could _feel_ was an open wound at the base of his neck, and he winced in pain, though not giving his brother the satisfaction of hearing him cry out.

"At least you are reacting better than I had anticipated," the Demon Lord muttered, holding his gaze as he spoke, his words causing his mouth to ghost over Inuyasha's which had upturned in an enraged growl, desperate to escape their sudden closeness. "Or have you not figured it out yet?"

Inuyasha snarled. "I don't know what the _hell_ you're rabbitin' on about but if you stick your foul tongue in my mouth again I'll bite it off!"

Sesshomaru felt that foreboding smirk playing at his lips once more, his free hand darting to Inuyasha's mouth so quickly the boy flinched. Long fingers seized the Half-demon's chin, parting his lips forcibly.  
"You will indeed?" he asked carelessly, his tongue darting out to flick gently over the flat of Inuyasha's teeth, before dipping in to caress the ominous canines the Half-demon had threatened him with, still tasting the lingering of his own blood there. He felt his brother's mouth trembling with the desire to bite him, though unable to do so under his grasp.

Clamping his eyes shut, Inuyasha protested to watching those eyes as Sesshomaru molested his mouth, a devilish tongue tormenting potentially dangerous but now helpless fangs, before coaxing his unwilling tongue into response. Refusing, the half-demon tried to turn away, though failed.

Suddenly those lips pressed into his, brushing the wetness gently against the corner of his mouth, before smoothing them over him completely. Sesshomaru's eyes fell closed and the hand restraining his mouth moved away. Inuyasha growled. He yanked his arms sharply out of the slackened grip of his older brother, smashing his lips up against Sesshomaru's. His elbows propped him up off the sheets, a disembodying shudder caressing his body. He felt surprise capture him as those hands pressed against his shoulders lightly, evidently urging him to slow down a little. A blush dusted his cheeks, he had forgotten himself for that brief moment; this sensation that had overcome him was embarrassingly superior to anything in his mind right now, his conscience and morals were quashed roughly, tossed aside and discarded to the depths of his mind, not permitted to spoil the sign of seeming affection.

Almost startled from the embrace by a touch (almost too delicate for Sesshomaru's hands) brushing against his throat, those fingers rested against his neck briefly before ghosting over his cheek, the other hand moving to stroke a twitching ear softly. He found himself surprised yet again at those touches, not rough or callous, or even passionate, he didn't even think there was a word for it. _Gentle_ hardly seemed a word fitting of the 'stoic Demon Lord', but, he supposed that was the only possible description that would be accurate.

Breath flowed over his skin as Sesshomaru drew back, finishing the embrace with a swift lick over his cheek, before slinking away, lying back against the sheets. Inuyasha regarded him with a curious gaze, not really certain why Sesshomaru would always work so hard to seduce him and them pull away so effortlessly in the middle, but also unsure why _he_ was starting to give in easier and easier. Was it a conscious decision? He didn't think so. All that he knew was that he didn't feel much like arguing or fighting anymore, not when it was so much simpler to give in to the sinful comfort offered, even if it _was_ wrong – if only for a short time.

His mind berated him for this contemplation of cowardice. Though his mind argued, that after two centuries of being brave for his evanescent friends and family, he was entitled a momentary cowardice. _I won't stay,_ Inuyasha managed to answer his raging mind that finally stopped arguing with itself. _I'll leave,_ he decided on, and he knew he had to, _I'll go, but… just a little bit longer, so I can remember what it was like to have these things…before I never have them again… _

"It seems you prefer such innocent little manoeuvres to my making love to you," Sesshomaru said, trying to break the ice that seemed to have descended so suddenly over Inuyasha, for a reason he could not see. Whatever trickery Inuyasha accused him of in previous events, this time Inuyasha had responded all on his own, and he had liked it, he knew he had. Or perhaps that was the problem? In any case, Inuyasha's temper began to flare at the embarrassing truth in that statement, and Sesshomaru smirked, cutting him off quickly before that anger emerged again.

"Do you know what this is, Inuyasha?" he asked casually, gesturing to the wound adorning his left hip just above his demon crests. Inuyasha shrugged, scratching the back of his neck in order to alleviate some of the awkwardness of the fact that they were both still very much naked.  
"My teeth marks," he muttered carelessly in response, trying to look anywhere but at Sesshomaru.  
"Did that useless flea not teach you a thing you should know?" the Demon barked. Inuyasha shrugged again, not really understanding the slight twinge of annoyance to his brother's voice.

"And if you were to have wished to mate with one of your priestesses, you would not have even known how to do it in that case?"

Inuyasha flushed darker. "H-Hey! That's none of your business! I know how to…to have sex, ya moron!"

Sesshomaru cocked a brow. "Mating isn't merely copulation, Little brother," he answered, "It seems as though your demon half acts on instincts in this matter though, so perhaps you would not have been completely lost." It was Inuyasha's turn to frown this time.  
"Huh? What do you mean, _'in this matter_'? How the-"  
"-Look at the bite mark, Inuyasha."

The Half-demon scoffed at the notion, flushing at the thought of Sesshomaru asking him to inspect his skin. "I'm fine thanks," he muttered as sarcastic as he could manage. Then, he ran his tongue absently over his teeth, shuddering at the lingering taste of Sesshomaru, and then, suddenly, it hit him, smothering and thundering through his aching mind. His demon half must have come out some time last night – just as he had transformed back into a half-demon. He was starting to remember now, brief flashes ebbing at his mind with each agonised throb. _'Instincts'_ Sesshomaru had said…and _that_ meant…

"But you said we were already mated before!" he exclaimed, though no solid belief in his voice any longer. He realised now that Sesshomaru had been lying – had realised that for demons that follow ancient instincts and rituals, sex would not and _could_ not be all it was to mating. Torn between being furious at being lied to and anxious of what this all meant – fear triumphed.

He swallowed hard. "I-I…" he began, wetting his lips unconsciously with a nervous swipe of his tongue. "W-What're you saying?" he asked, praying to be mistaken. Sesshomaru watched him carefully.  
"You marked me," the Demon Lord said nonchalantly, "as your mate, Inuyasha."

For a moment, Inuyasha said nothing at all, simply remaining frozen with the horrifying truth of that statement.  
"But I," he muttered, confused still, though anger swelling in his throat as he barely repressed a snarl. "I don't _want_ to be your mate! I don't _want_ to be with you – much less FOREVER! The only reason you're sitting there looking so smug about it is because now you have some sick twisted _right_ to screw me into the sheets like a panting bitch!"

Still the Demon Lord continued to look amused at his reaction, anticipating every word almost eagerly. It only served to irritate Inuyasha more, and his blood boiled with searing fury.

The Half-demon had never had the opportunity to drink alcohol before – human or demon brewed, but he sure was _never_ going to again. It was an evil, vile deceptively sweet drink that had made him piss his life away in one intoxicated instant. The anger stirred a furious flush to his features, fangs grated into his lip, desperate to tear at something, to scream. He shot out of bed, causing Sesshomaru to jump slightly. With fists clenched, his claws bit into his flesh, causing blood to trickle through his tense fingers and onto the floor.

Suddenly, he raised his arm, a misery and anger drenched scream tearing from his throat as he released it all on the nearest object – the wall. He sensed Sesshomaru gather himself to his feet swiftly, even as his fist continued to draw back, smashing into the wall each time with a renewed force. His knuckles bled as they crashed into the wood-covered stone, splintering the panelling, his flesh connecting with the stone beneath, only rousing another cry in his throat.

He didn't want this, why had his life suddenly turned so bad? Every bit of it flashed across his mind – Sesshomaru, Kagome's leaving, Kikyo's death – everything he had to loathe about his life tumbled into his existence as if it were all happening once again. He didn't know how the rest of the world could just carry on when he'd watched his own world crumble so many times from beneath him. Smacking the wall again and again, he willed it to collapse and end it all, to bring him to a place where he wouldn't have to hurt – wouldn't have to think anymore.

Just then, two arms seized him round his torso, binding his arms to his side, and he screamed again, the noise grating painfully against his throat, struggling to attack the wall once more. Kicking hard off the wall, and soaring backwards with Sesshomaru still restraining him, both of them crashed into the side of the bed, the Half-demon still fighting.

"Get off me!" Inuyasha cried out, "I don't want to be with you! I don't want to be your whore or have you mutilate my body with a stinkin' pup! I don't want to be _anything_! LET ME GO!"

Sesshomaru snarled, tightening his grip around Inuyasha's body. "You did this yourself," he growled, "you cannot run away at the first sign of something difficult ahead-"  
"-I know that! I know it's my fault! It's my fault! Everything is my fault! IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" The struggling ceased. Inuyasha's body fell limp against his chest, though Sesshomaru did not release him. He felt the Half-demon's body shiver, silver hair hanging into his eyes, though the salt of his tears tingeing the air and his bare feet uselessly kicking out occasionally. "It's my fault…" The whimpering, sniffling words ushered into the Demon's ears, and he found himself frozen there, the agony in that voice piercing his chest like a white-hot needle.

A silence covered them for what seemed like an eternity, until Sesshomaru gathered himself to his feet, dragging a weakly struggling Inuyasha backwards slightly. "Come back to bed, Inuyasha."  
"No, get off of me!" he half screamed half whimpered, not even attempting to struggle very hard anymore as Sesshomaru pulled him back onto the bed, his chest still pressed against Inuyasha's back, restraining him still.

"I realise you are not pleased with this, but there is no way to annul this mating now it has begun – a mate can only lose that connection when the other dies." Sesshomaru explained. Inuyasha was far from comforted by these words, though at least the Demon was not provoking or teasing him any longer. But he had gone past caring, he just wanted to go back to the Sacred tree, and sit there until his body withered and rotted away into the twisted bark. He heard a distinct pause In Sesshomaru then, and he knew his brother was choosing his words carefully.

"The girl is gone, Inuyasha, there is nothing you can do about it-"  
"-It doesn't matter, I shouldn't have betrayed her by doing these things with you…its sick and wrong…"

Sesshomaru held back the insulted growl brewing in his throat, though just barely. "She would not have wanted you to be alone for the rest of eternity, mourning for her, would she? I have heard humans _can_ be selfless in that manner."

Inuyasha shrugged. "She wouldn't have wanted me to fuck my brother, either…" he muttered, berating himself, causing Sesshomaru's body to tense up a little.

"You belong here," the Demon Lord stated in his usual stoic voice, deciding to abandon the futile attempts of relieving Inuyasha of his guilt and simply assuring him of his place. Inuyasha snorted.  
"So I can be your chamber servant and your submissive little _uke_? _Whatever_…" he growled darkly, his voice low and full of self-loathing.  
"Sometimes you like it as such," Sesshomaru said simply, "but when it stops you are so overcome with those unconquerable emotions of yours that you pull away and pretend to hate it. I would know why…"

Inuyasha said nothing for a moment, his mouth opening and closing a few times, unsuccessful in speech, before he seemed to manage words.

_Because even though I want it, I know I shouldn't,_ he thought, before replying at last. "It makes me feel sick to betray the person I used to be-"  
"-Everyone evolves from who they used to be, it is part of the way time passes, and pulls us onwards, is it so wrong to evolve into a different person?" the Demon asked simply. Inuyasha sighed heavily, pressing the back of his head unconsciously against Sesshomaru's collarbone. How could he make him see?  
"I don't like the person I'm evolving into," he answered, misery still tugging at his senses. All he wanted was to go back to sleep – to that blissful state of unaware, and never wake from it.

Sesshomaru's brain practically groaned under pressure as he searched his resiliently icy mind for some clue as to what to say – some hint of what warm, endearing words Inuyasha required. Having never wished to do this so powerfully before, he frowned slightly, words escaping his lips, not knowing where they came from, as if they were not quite his own, although he felt an odd attachment to the truth in them.

"If you would simply stop wallowing in self-pity, and move on from this pointless misery, I would go so far as to say I do not dislike the person you have become – it is far better than that arrogant, crude brat you used to be."

Inuyasha growled impatiently at the attempt at a complement. "Of course you do, because this new me is a sick pervert that lets you shove your-" he was cut off, Sesshomaru seizing the side of his face, turning it to the side so that their eyes could meet. For a moment they held each other's gaze, each searching for the answers in the other's eyes, until the Demon Lord watched Inuyasha wet his lips nervously, sadness slowly draining from his face at the newfound awkwardness of their (still very naked) situation.

"I believe that you have been alone, and miserable for quite long enough, _Little brother_," Sesshomaru said, as stoically as he could manage, not willing to let his cold exterior falter so easily. The Demon Lord's words swirled in his sibling's mind, causing a shaky breath to shudder past his lips. _"Who else would offer you these things? Your priestess? She's gone, Inuyasha, but you're going to live forever, why not do it in comfort…?"_

Inuyasha felt a sudden desperateness for the there to be truth in Sesshomaru's abrupt gentle words. A part of him so desperately wanted to belong somewhere – somewhere he wouldn't have to cling desperately to every waking moment, for fear that when he woke up it would all be torn away, that the new day would whisk away everything he treasured with one foul swipe, as it had done so many times before. But was this really what he wanted? Did he want a forever spent with someone he didn't love, and that didn't love him? Without that, didn't it just make him no better than the whores that sold themselves for money, only with this castle and a fake affection as his currency? It hurt his head to think any longer. Though he watched Sesshomaru's eyes searching his for an answer, and he swallowed hard, striving to find one himself.

Still struggling for his own answer to the situation, the Half-demon titled his head slightly, pressing his lips to Sesshomaru's, as if trying to draw reason and assistance from his mouth. He pulled back, still unsure, considering the Demon Lord's still stoic expression slipping slightly, as Sesshomaru seized his hand slowly, dragging his mouth over the wounded knuckles.

Could he trust Sesshomaru? Could he believe that this kindness would persist, and not just when he was needed to relieve him of his more intimate needs? He wasn't sure. He hadn't been sure of anything for so long, and it caused his body to ache all the more, and head to throb in painful reminder of just how much wine he'd consumed the night before.

Sesshomaru glanced up at Inuyasha's awkward expression, lowering the now mostly healed hand slowly. "You prefer not to have intimacy, isn't that so, Inuyasha?" he said nonchalantly. Inuyasha only answered with an awkward look, pulling his hand back quickly, and sitting up, separating himself from the Demon by perching at the end of the bed, covering himself with the blankets as casually as he could manage in his haste.

"If you would prefer," Sesshomaru began, recalling Takara's suggestion of not ordering Inuyasha, and this new _'niceness'_ he was supposed to be trying out, though had neglected to do more than once since then. "I could allow you a period of courting, where such things will be prohibited until you decide to finalise our union." A frown creased Inuyasha's brow, the Half-demon not really understanding what Sesshomaru was proposing – not because he was stupid, just because he didn't dare believe what was coming out of his brother's mouth.

"Huh?" he mumbled. Sesshomaru regarded him closely, not saying anything for a moment, contemplating the best (and 'nicest') way to rephrase it.  
"I will allow you to adjust to our coupling by a period of-"  
"-No not that," Inuyasha cut him off hastily, not wanting to hear Sesshomaru refer to him as a fiancé for a second time. "What do you mean, _'finalise our union'_? As in…it's not complete yet?"

Sesshomaru looked as if he doubted Inuyasha's sense at this point, as he raised a brow disbelievingly. Though it was Inuyasha who continued to looked bewildered, as his only response was his brother's vague gesture towards his left shoulder.  
"You have received my mark, though the union has not been blessed – as of yet," he added the last part, as if in reminder that it _would_ happen, and Inuyasha was to be in no doubt of its inevitability.

"So…if it's not finished…there's still a way out?" Perhaps he should not have spoken so eagerly, nor so hastily, as (if it were possible) Inuyasha could have sworn Sesshomaru looked mildly offended by it.  
"Of course there is not, if we do not complete the necessary rituals and markings by the approaching mating season, you will fall ill and die." He spoke so casually, and yet Inuyasha was visibly shaken. How could Sesshomaru speak of death so casually – particularly _his_ death?  
"How come? Don't you damn demons have such things as 'second thoughts'?"  
"Canine demons mate for life, Inuyasha – _for life_," he repeated, a little slower, as if Inuyasha's mind was incapable of taking it in otherwise, "the mark itself symbolises trust, and eternal loyalty, in a scar that will never disappear."

Inuyasha's ears wilted slightly, as did his spirit. So he was mated to Sesshomaru – for good, at least he would be, and there was no way out.  
_I can't leave even if I wanted to_, he thought, realising the answer he was searching for earlier now did not matter. Was it of any importance if he wanted this or not, when it was impossible to escape?  
_No,_ answered Inuyasha mentally, sensing the demon in him fully behind that statement, whereas his human half lingered on the borders, not willing to step any further towards accepting anything the Demon Lord had to offer.

_My stinkin' demon blood seems all for Sesshomaru,_ Inuyasha mentally sighed, not realising his brother was watching him carefully, _it was that side of me that instinctively bit a damn mating mark into him – could have made it hurt him a little more,_ he found his human side prodding him to think reproachfully, though he swatted it aside. He hated these little battles for dominance between his mortal and demonic halves, often assaulting his mind with different morals and ideals, that were the main cause of the confusion that continued to resurface when it came to Sesshomaru.

The demon was more than willing to accept everything, and to have the protection and security having a mate like Sesshomaru ensured. It was his demon side that called out in hunger to agree when he was intimate with him, whilst the human side was the half that arose afterwards, grinding into him those human morals that he'd been raised with – and with them, crushing the blissful euphoria he would contently stay in forever.

There wasn't two sides of him exactly, but there _were_ two radically different views on life, and with them both meshing together in a constant war in his head, he didn't know which he himself should follow, feeling that to choose one over the other, was betraying his other half…and his other parent… For that was what it felt like, having to choose between parents, or more accurately, between his two separate heritages. How could Lord Inu-no-Taishou and Lady Izayoi have known, that simply by following their heart instead of what was _'right'_ they had sired a desperately confused and lost _half_-being, that didn't belong anywhere at all. _That's_ what he felt, and it brought that miserable weight back to his body once more.

"I promised you a lie-in yesterday, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said, changing the subject, for he already knew the answer. He was going to have to take it slow with Inuyasha, even if that meant quashing his treacherous demonic urges that called out all too often lately. "Why do you not do so and I will summon Takara to make you something for your alcohol induced ailments?"

Inuyasha glanced to the plush pillows, noting 'his' side of the bed lacked the blood that stained the rest of the bed. However, he didn't feel much like lying there anymore. Not with this thoughts swirling painfully in his head, to lie there thinking of everything that was wrong with himself and his world. It was worse than any form of torture he could otherwise think of, (not to mention the fact that the room was still stifling with the potent scent of blood and sex, which were both unpleasant to his nose). He wanted to do something, something he could engross himself in to take away his thoughts, if only for a short time...

"Er, well…it's got blood all over it," Inuyasha answered, not really sure why he wasn't telling Sesshomaru the truth about why he didn't want to sleep in. "And..." he blushed, "it smells of sex…maybe I'll just sleep in tomorrow." He was shocked when Sesshomaru didn't argue, merely got to his feet.  
"In that case, you will join us at the breakfast table?" he asked, making sure to add the air of a question to his words. Inuyasha shrugged, scratching the back of his neck distractedly, determinedly averting his eyes from Sesshomaru's _parts_ that he found himself oddly unfamiliar with, despite their activities. _Well it's not like I stare at it any of those times, he's too busy shoving it up my…_

"Perhaps then you would accompany me for a walk?" Sesshomaru asked, dragging him from his thoughts. Again, Inuyasha's answer was a shrug. "Good, Rin will most probably enjoy your company there also."

Inuyasha swallowed hard. "R-Rin?"

The Demon Lord turned to face him, his face bearing an odd expression. "Indeed, the girl requires fresh air outside of the castle grounds once and a while – humans are strange that way and you seem to have an odd attachment to trees, so you will undoubtedly enjoy it also."

Inuyasha tipped his head to the side slightly in a puppyish fashion, the realisation only just hitting him as Sesshomaru summoned Jaken to fetch Inuyasha fresh clothing, that the last of the Demon's statement, seemed to have been a small…joke – if he wasn't mistaken that is, and he was sure he wasn't.

It was amusing to see Jaken's eagerness to hurry into the room replaced swiftly with wide-eyed horror at the potent smell of wine, blood, semen and stale arousal in the air. Even more so when round bulbous eyes captured the sight of his Lord, dressed only with a sheet, and Inuyasha sitting naked and ruffled on his Lord's bed. Inuyasha could have sworn he watched the little imp go from scared, to jealous, to horrified, to revolted all in one fleeting moment. He forced back a smirk at that look, as Jaken hurried out of the door after agreeing and bowing at Sesshomaru's request. Suppressing a laugh, the Half-demon gathered himself to his feet, careful to keep the other sheets round his middle, shielding the majority of his nakedness from view.

"You know that little toad fancies the pants off you?" Inuyasha muttered to his brother, teasingly casual, as he moved past him. Suddenly, Sesshomaru seized him, pulling his back tightly against his chest, not for the first time that morning, rousing a shocked little gasp past those lips.  
"Indeed, I am aware. Does this amuse you?"  
"Yeah," Inuyasha answered, hasty to cover up the awkwardness in his voice as Sesshomaru failed to release him. "Bet it makes you damn close to laughing, don't it?" There was an edge of teasing in his voice, and he knew Sesshomaru noticed it, and for a moment, he could have sworn he saw the briefest of smiles flitter across his lips, though it was quickly gone.

"Perhaps…"  
"Does Jaken have to obey me?" Inuyasha asked, trying to not sound curious, though not able to stifle it completely. Sesshomaru raised a brow.  
"Of course," he answered quietly, "why do you ask?"

Inuyasha found himself shrugging again, recalling that day with Nannami, when she had spoken to him endearingly, even _supportively_…

"Nannami said she had to do as I said unless you told her not to, I was just-"  
"-Wondering if that applied to all of my servants?" Sesshomaru finished. Inuyasha nodded, urging the Demon to release him, though he did not. "Indeed it does, all those within this castle, and within these lands must obey you, the only person above your order is-"  
"-You," Inuyasha headed him off, realising what he was going to say before he said it.  
"Naturally. And if anyone refuses your orders, you are to inform me, and they will be dealt with. If you are to stay here, impudence must be dealt with early on, or else they will think they have a say in the matter."

Inuyasha wet his lips nervously once more. He had always barked orders at Shippo or Kagome in gruffness or in what the priestess had affectionately named a 'tantrum'. Though all of a sudden he felt very uncomfortable with the idea of telling someone within these castle walls what to do, particularly since they were for the most part pure-blooded demons, whereas he was a just a half-demon, whether he was the son of a demon lord and a princess or not. Which reminded him…

"H-Hey? Sesshomaru?" he asked, just as the Demon Lord released him, moving towards the door to the bathing chambers that Inuyasha had since discovered linked to Sesshomaru's room. He stopped, though did not turn to face him. "Rin," he said carefully, not sure how he was going to react, "I heard her last night, she was praying – for us and…our parents." Sesshomaru said nothing, so the younger sibling continued.

"I guess with how nosy she is and how much she worships your _holy ass_, there's no wonder she knows our father's name but…" he paused again, "how does she know my mother's name was Izayoi?" At last Sesshomaru turned to face him, although now he had, Inuyasha rather wish he hadn't. His face bore an indecipherable look, an expression which Inuyasha did not much like the look of. "Rin is my ward, and thus is taught in the nature a demon would – she is instructed in etiquette and the ways a daughter of this house _should_ be, including lessons such as languages, and demonic history – _our_ history."

Inuyasha frowned slightly, he hadn't liked the way Sesshomaru had said that, but before he could open his mouth to retort, Sesshomaru had spoken again. "Our father was and _remains_ the most powerful demon that has ever walked this earth, naturally she would know of-"  
"-But you told her my mother's name?" Inuyasha persisted. Sesshomaru offered him a disbelieving look. "What do they do? Write it all in scrolls or-"  
"-Do not be ridiculous," Sesshomaru cut across him, "the scrolls cannot account for most of it – and moreover, a lot of them are unreliable – for instance they pretend your mother's relationship with our father was a one-time meeting, which was not the case. They cannot be trusted to tell the truth of the tale-"  
"-So _you_ told the truth? About my mother?" That look had yet to drop from Sesshomaru's face.  
"You keep repeating that… Indeed, I told Rin the truth."

Inuyasha snorted, scoffing at the notion. "Oh yeah, which is?" The silence that greeted his answer caused him to turn, meeting his older brother's eyes, the smirk that met his gaze unnerving him slightly. _He's laughing at me,_ Inuyasha growled resentfully, _everyone knows about my parents' lives together, except me…_

"Rin is more fond of the tale than the majority of those insipid 'fairytales' Nannami will insist on telling her – perhaps you would ask her on our walk later?" With this said, Sesshomaru moved past him, though as he did so he allowed his clawed fingers to brush gently at Inuyasha's shoulder that remained unmarred by the newly instated mating mark. The action caused the Half-demon to shudder, though as he did so, Sesshomaru halted his steps. One fluid turn brought his chest to Inuyasha's back. His fingers tracing up the side of Inuyasha's throat, grazing the pale flesh with his fangs gently, and tilting his head to the side in favour of brushing his tongue over the mating mark.

The initial stinging pain at the smooth wetness pressing into the crimson bite mark subsided, the still sore flesh tingling with foreign sensations that spread rapidly down his body. A strangled noise between a whimper and a gasp shuddered past flushed lips and the Half-demon leant his head unconsciously to the side, instincts all-but forcing him to allow his apparently new mate to lap almost tenderly at the suddenly rapidly healing wound.

His hands rose, seizing hold of the arms that still held him there, and raking his claws into them lightly in reflex. A burning fire caressed his body, sending little jolts of euphoria humming through his skin. He tipped his head back a little more, crying out slightly – he couldn't help it. Hadn't he only just argued that they _shouldn't_ do this? "Drop the sheet, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru murmured smoothly in his nervously flickering ear, the bite on his shoulder now no more than an angry red scar. But Inuyasha didn't answer. He paused. As if the question was life or death, he almost panicked. What would be so wrong about staying here? But then, he had already answered that question (or more accurately Sesshomaru had) thousands of times over.

_I don't care,_ he thought, his fingers clinging to the fabric that covered his nudity, as if not sure whether to let go or not. _I don't care… No one's ever wanted me the way Sesshomaru does… I just…I don't care what happens to me anymore… _

The material shuddered to the ground, pooling around his feet, and he hissed slightly at the sensations of the seemingly cold air tugging at his heated skin. Brushing a final nip against the marred flesh of the Half-demon's shoulder, Sesshomaru grazed his fangs up the side of Inuyasha's throat, and smoothed silver hair aside so as to continue his attentions, all the while his other hand straying downwards...

Laboured breathing slowed swiftly, though Sesshomaru could feel his heart still hammering in his chest. When he met Inuyasha's eyes once more, he couldn't hold back the smirk that twitched at his lips, at the sight of wide eyes staring up at him almost expectantly, and a little surprised, the still slightly awkward face stained with his own spendings. "You did it of your own accord," Sesshomaru muttered, wiping the stuff from Inuyasha's face. Inuyasha winced at the fabric rubbing against his flesh.  
"What's the matter? Can't you get off unless you force me? _Sicko_…" Inuyasha admonished. Sesshomaru almost sighed with exasperation.  
"Do not be difficult and spoil everything, Inuyasha," he said, neither of the brothers moving, and neither breaking eye-contact.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" The shrill, grating voice of Jaken accompanied a fast rapping on the door, Inuyasha blinked, staring at the door, only returning his gaze to his older brother when he didn't respond.  
"Aren't you gonna-"  
"-Ignore him, he is insignificant currently." And he continued to hold Inuyasha's gaze. He'd wanted to say something just then – _needed_ to, but what was he to say? He felt that he was perhaps finally getting somewhere with Inuyasha, but then, he wasn't sure, the half-demon was quite indecipherable at times…

Suddenly the door swung open, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru gazing to where Jaken now stood, transfixed with horror at seeing Inuyasha on his knees naked, before his master – _naked_. Inuyasha almost yelped, seizing the sheet lying carelessly nearby and covering himself with it – the little demon giving him the creeps even more than usual. But Sesshomaru, Sesshomaru was _furious. _

"What do you mean by entering my chambers without seeking permission first?" He snarled, the green demon trembling in response to the Demon Lord's raised voice.  
"P-Please Milord, I knocked and-"  
"-And I did not answer – did it not occur to you that Inuyasha and I may have been busy?"  
"I – I – I assumed that you-"  
"-You are not a position to assume _anything_ – impudent little toad. You are a servant. You _knock_ before you enter our personal chambers, I should kill you where you stand."

Jaken's round eyes widened even further (if that were possible) the demon staring at his lord with pure horror, though Inuyasha couldn't help but think that the reaction was more due to Sesshomaru's use of _'our chambers'_ as opposed to his anger.

"F-Forgive me, Milord I-"  
"-Do you purposefully seek to anger and embarrass your new lord?" At this, Jaken looked like he could have vomited. Both he and Inuyasha stared at Sesshomaru with different degrees of confusion. "Yes, _Lord_, Jaken, as of last night, _Lord _Inuyasha has taken up his destined position as ruling partner – and has additionally assumed his position as my mate." The words may have seeped poison for what Jaken's reaction was. He looked like he was about to choke on nothing at all, mouth agape and staring at Inuyasha in disbelief. "Now leave, tell those at the table we will be down shortly. Be grateful I am in a good mood this morning and your death will not amuse me – leave!" Within moments, Jaken was gone and the door was closed, it was another moment, however, until either Inuyasha or Sesshomaru spoke.

"_Good mood_?" Inuyasha almost laughed getting to his feet, making his way briskly across the room, and disappearing into the washroom beyond the shoji screen. "I'd hate to see you in a bad mood," he called back, "oh, wait, I have." There was an air of teasing about his voice, even beneath the sarcasm, and Sesshomaru followed after his brother. Inuyasha seemed to be a little…different all of a sudden. He was acting…strange.

"You yourself seem to be in a better mood," he said, regarding the Half-demon closely as the boy washed himself with the water in the wash basin, shivering slightly from the coldness of the water. "You have not sulked at all in the last few minutes." Inuyasha of course snorted, drying himself with the towel before hurrying over to where his kimono lay, attempting to dress himself in such a way as to preserve what little modesty he still owned.

Inuyasha found that only slight discomfort in Sesshomaru watching him as he dressed quickly; he wasn't exactly shy, more…ashamed of his nakedness. After years upon years of people telling him just what a filthy, disgusting pariah he was, he'd started to believe it long ago. But it was suddenly quite obvious that Sesshomaru wasn't remotely disgusted about what he had to offer, and that his flesh – his body, was worth a lot more than anyone had anticipated, thanks to the 'abilities' he never even knew existed until a few days ago. Therefore it was only boyish modesty that caused the light blush to reach his cheeks, and stopped him from meeting Sesshomaru's eyes.

Regarding him closely for a moment, Sesshomaru frowned a little, still not understanding his little brother's attachment to that ancient fire-rat kimono. "Are you sure you would not like the seamstresses to commission a new wardrobe for you?" he suggested, trying to sound as least offensive as possible. "A material twice as practical as that fire-rat fur could be ordered for you." Inuyasha shook his head, tying his obi with a thoughtful look striking his features.  
"It's fine, I like this one – it cleans and fixes itself," he said, trying to sound logical, but he couldn't help the strange, disembodying sort of nostalgia fogging up his mind.

"More to the point…besides Tetsusaiga, it's my only real possession that's…well mine." He didn't know why he'd told Sesshomaru that, it was a sort of uncontrollable action of his mouth, and when he raised his eyes to meet Sesshomaru's gaze, he wished he hadn't said anything at all.  
"I told you," said Sesshomaru, making his way over the basin and beginning to wash himself leisurely. "I will give you anything you want – you are a Lord of the Western lands now, you can buy more things."

Inuyasha rubbed his sore shoulder absently, shuddering as his fingers brushed unthinkingly over his throbbing scar, causing Sesshomaru to shiver in turn.  
"You don't get it, it's not about buying more stuff, this kimono was the one that Dad had made for my mother, he put it over her the night he…" he trailed off absently, before managing to find his words once more, "the night he died…it protected both of us from the fire…"

Sesshomaru finally comprehended. He dried himself slowly as he realised what Inuyasha wasn't saying. "I see, it is the sentimental value that is important to you – not the kimono itself?"

Inuyasha shrugged, though Sesshomaru knew his deduction was correct. "You are an interesting creature, Inuyasha," he stated in his usual impassive tone. "You are quite different from what you first appear."  
"Oh, so now you think you know me?" the boy asked, his tone accusing. Sesshomaru offered him a strange look.  
"Give me time… Shall we head down to breakfast?" His only answer was a small shrug, as the boy folded his arms in his baggy kimono sleeves, heading through the door, Sesshomaru close behind.

TBC

**Remember, for the full story/chapter with sex scenes please visit the links on my profile page. Thank you!**


	12. An Open Embrace

**Chapter Twelve  
An Open Embrace**

Poor Jaken seemed to still be recovering from the vivid image of a naked Inuyasha on his knees at the feet of his naked master, even as the Western Lords reached the table. Inuyasha's vision and senses were still hazy, his movements were unbalanced and his head felt like two little men were trying to break their way out with sledge hammer. Not to mention the ever-present throbbing in his backside, which brought a wince to his features as he lowered himself onto the chair that Sesshomaru had pulled out for him. _At least my neck doesn't hurt anymore,_ he thought, hand unconsciously rubbing over the violent red scar, causing shivers to shake his form, as well as his sibling's (though less noticeably). _I'll have to get used to not touching my neck so much,_ he thought, his stomach offering a feeble lurch at the smell of his and Rin's breakfast approaching.

Even though he had started out that morning with nothing more than hazardous brief flashes, he recalled everything now, as vivid and as clear as ever. He remembered everything from coming on to his brother in a drunken stupor, to the first of the sun's rays streaming in through the window where his human body met Sesshomaru's form, the transformation into a hanyou, and then into a full-demon, then into a hanyou once more. It had all come back to him. It tumbled down upon his throbbing head, crashing into his mind with the all too vivid images of Sesshomaru and himself. Brief though they were, and sketchy, he knew what had happened, and he felt his insides churn even more so than before. But his stomach seemed to be disagreeing with a lot more than just those disturbing flashes currently, as it exacted its revenge on him for the large quantities of alcohol he'd consumed the night before.

"Are you alright now, Lord Inuyasha?" Rin asked with her usual ridiculously wide smile, referring to the encounter with Inuyasha under her bed, though before Inuyasha could even open his mouth to respond, Sesshomaru had raised his gaze to his ward, the piercing gold offering almost a scolding expression.  
"You will forget that incident completely – it never happened, am I understood, Rin?" The girl smiled still, nodding madly in answer.  
"Yes Lord Sesshomaru," she chimed, grasping her chopsticks as her plate was set down before her. "Thank you," the female serving her inclined her head in a bow, before hurrying to set Inuyasha's dish before him.

"You may begin, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru assured him, after a few moments had passed, in which Rin had started eating, but Inuyasha simply stared at his own with an odd expression touching his features. The Half-demon ignored him, resting his right elbow on the table, and clasping his hand to his head, rubbing his temples with his fingers as he closed his eyes. "Inuyasha?" He ignored Sesshomaru still; suddenly his stomach was threatening to empty its lack of contents all over the floor. Suddenly (for once in his life) he wasn't very hungry at all, in fact, he felt rather sick…

"Inuyasha, are you alright?" Even the slight concern that sounded in Sesshomaru's words and the gentle hand on his arm did not distract him from the throbbing agony.  
"Do I _look_ alright?" he hissed under his breath, not meeting Sesshomaru's eyes. "It feels like all my insides are determined to be on the _outside_, damn moron…"

Sesshomaru's gaze flickered to Takara, who sat not a few places along from Inuyasha, his silent order obvious to his servant. Immediately Takara gathered himself to his feet, manoeuvring swiftly to his Lord's side.  
"Sire?" Sesshomaru regarded him closely, partially believing that Takara knew very well why Inuyasha was ill.  
"He had a little too much to drink last night," he muttered to the dark-haired-demon, so that no one else could hear. "Is there not something you could concoct to cease these pains?" Straightening up slightly, Takara offered his Lord a smile.  
"Naturally, My Lord. I shall return shortly," he answered curtly, bowing his head slightly as he headed out of the hall at a brisk pace.

"You should try and force something down, Lord Inuyasha," Nannami offered to the ailing half-demon from across the table, as she arranged a napkin at Rin's lap. "You cannot take anything for your pains on an empty stomach."

Inuyasha growled bitterly, and snatched up his chopsticks resentfully. "I am _never_ drinking again," the Half-demon griped as he managed to force down a few mouthfuls, regretting that he couldn't enjoy such delicious food properly. "I don't think I want to go on this 'walk' thing with you right now."

Rin let out a whining sound of disappointment, staring at him sadly. "Why not Lord Inuyasha?" she asked. Sesshomaru set his chopsticks down, meeting Inuyasha's gaze.  
"Nonsense," the Demon Lord said, ignoring Rin's words. "You will recover swiftly enough when Takara returns with a remedy. Some fresh air might do you some good."

Inuyasha grumbled something that sounded horribly like a jumbled chain of swearwords before trying to force down a few more mouthfuls resentfully.

* * *  
Whatever faults his brother possessed, he had to admit one thing – his choice in healers was faultless. Takara must have been a magician at least to concoct such healing potions. Inuyasha didn't know whether it was because of the herbal remedy Takara had offered him or the fresh air Sesshomaru swore would do him good, but his head ceased that insistent throbbing, even his vision had stopped blurring and causing him to stagger and lose his balance. True, his body still retained that heavy, exhausted weight, but he had barely slept all night, and honestly, as long as he stopped puking, falling over and having headaches he didn't care much about a little exhaustion. _Can't have everything_, he reminded himself as he walked slowly behind Sesshomaru and Rin, arms folded inside his baggy kimono sleeves almost comfortingly.

Golden eyes watched as Rin stretched her arms out wide at her sides, running ahead of them, though always stopping before she left Sesshomaru's sight, and then stooping to inspect nearby flowers, or birds or some other such nonsense that brought that silly though sincere smile to her sweet little face. Thoughtfulness crept up on the Half-demon from the back of his mind, so lost in it for that moment that he did not notice Sesshomaru slowing his pace to walk alongside him.

"Are you feeling more yourself now, Little brother?" Sesshomaru asked impassively. Inuyasha jumped, snapping back to reality at the question.  
"Huh? Oh, yeah..." he answered vaguely, watching the obsidian-haired-girl as she paused to pick some of the blue flowers that grew alongside the forest path they were travelling along. "Just thinking is all…"

Sesshomaru arced a delicate brow at the notion. "Indeed, trees do seem to have that effect on you, do they not?" To this Inuyasha scowled, but didn't answer. He didn't feel much like arguing today. "I would ask, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru continued, causing Inuyasha to look up at him as they continued to follow in Rin's wake, the girl quite unaware (perhaps of her own accord, or merely out of respect for Sesshomaru's 'personal space') that they were quite a distance from her. "I would ask what you experienced whilst sealed to that tree for five decades."

Inuyasha stared at the dirt beneath his bare feet pensively, pondering how to answer, and if he should. It was (in all honesty) quite a personal experience – what he saw, what he felt that entire time…he wasn't quite sure he was ready to talk about it to anyone – even now.

"It was like wandering through lots of different dreams," Inuyasha answered truthfully, his voice slightly distant, drawing Sesshomaru's gaze to him even more, "dreams where you could hear, smell, see and feel everything…some of them I can even remember as vividly as if they…" he trailed off, staring at his slightly raised hand for a moment, before clenching his fist and tucking it awkwardly back inside his kimono sleeve.  
"And these dreams were about what, exactly?" Sesshomaru asked. Inuyasha frowned looking up at him. "I do not care, I am just curious is all," he replied at the Half-demon's silent questioning.  
"They were about all different things…some good, some bad…" Again, that silent thoughtfulness overcame him, and he raised his gaze to the grey skies overhead, staring into the thick wisps of cloud, as if hoping to find the answers to all earthly problems beyond them.

"Did you dream about your priestess?" the Demon pressed. Inuyasha looked a little _too_ disgruntled at the mention of her, and a scowl creased his brow slightly.  
"Sometimes I dreamt about Kikyo," Inuyasha answered, feeling the need to distinguish between which priestess Sesshomaru was referring to. "I could hardly _not_ since she _was_ the reason I was there after all."

Sesshomaru didn't respond, he supposed that made sense. But still, there was something he didn't like about the way Inuyasha became all-too distant when it came to things such as this. _In a sense, I suppose that he is like me in that way,_ Sesshomaru thought, tearing his eyes from the befuddling Half-demon to make sure Rin was still within sight. Upon seeing the human girl not too far from them (but still not within earshot) he returned his gaze to Inuyasha.

"Can we drop this already," Inuyasha snapped, that petulant, sulky look he was becoming known for crossing his features. "I dreamt about lots of stuff – almost everything. Kikyo, you Father, my mother... Fifty years is a long time ya know, and I didn't have any sense of time anyway – it was like I was there forever but…" he paused, realising he was revealing far more than he'd bargained for. "But at the same time, it felt like it was over so quickly…"

A dull throb of nostalgia pulsed through the mark to Sesshomaru, and the Demon Lord pressed the subject no more, finding himself once again searching his mind as for what to say or do to cease Inuyasha's emotional pain. Instead, after finding nothing, he did what Inuyasha would probably prefer, and changed the subject altogether.

"You should allow me to have new clothes commissioned for you – materials more protective and comfortable could be used than that fire-rat kimono." No sooner had Inuyasha turned and opened his mouth to respond to Sesshomaru's words, than the Demon lord cut across him. "I realise you are somewhat _attached_ to that ancient fire-rat garb, however, you may like having more than one item of clothing to choose from."

Inuyasha sighed, turning his gaze to Rin distractedly and scratching the back of his neck in slight exasperation. Sesshomaru certainly was persistent in trying to _buy_ him…

"I told you, I like what I have," the Half-demon answered simply, watching as Rin approached them swiftly.  
"And when, pray tell me, Little brother; did I say you must get rid of your current clothing? I merely suggested it would not hurt to have more than one kimono, or have you forgotten that whenever that kimono is cleaned you borrow my attire."  
"The Gods only know how I fit in it," Inuyasha retorted under his breath, noting that Rin had stopped before them, though stared up at them patiently, evidently waiting for them to finish speaking before speaking herself. "Especially with that huge ego of yours."  
"Indeed," Sesshomaru responded, the slightest of smiles reaching his mouth before looking to Rin, silently signalling she was permitted to speak now. She smiled warmly at the two of them.

"You should get some new clothes lord Inuyasha," she all-but squeaked excitedly, "I always like it when Lord Sesshomaru gives me new dresses."

Inuyasha flushed slightly in awkwardness, looking away, trying to find something to distract himself with. "Just because we're..._courting_ doesn't mean I want any special attention. I'm not being bought and showered with gifts like some pouting _female_," he grumbled, causing Sesshomaru's smirk to broaden and Rin to cock her head slightly in confusion.  
"But it is always nice to have new things," she said, still beaming up at him, "and you have two-hundred-years worth of presents to make up for!"

Inuyasha averted his gaze form the little girl once more, crossing his arms uncomfortably. "Keh, whatever, I don't care…" _Maybe there's more to this kid than meets the eye,_ Inuyasha thought distantly, _she's so damn hard to say no to. No wonder Sesshomaru spoils her rotten…_

"Yay!" the girl squealed, smiling up at him, the assorted flowers clutched in her grasp. "Lord Sesshomaru lets me choose the material for my kimonos myself – and then he has them made especially for me." At this Inuyasha glanced at his older brother, a badly hidden look of disbelief crossing his features.  
"Well ain't you just the dutiful father?" he tormented. Sesshomaru remained unfazed by his brother's words.  
"Indeed, now the only task remaining is for you to prove you will be a dutiful _mother_," Sesshomaru teased. Inuyasha flushed darkly, opening his mouth to speak, but finding his voice had abandoned him, and not for the first nor last time, turned his gaze elsewhere.

"What's got you assuming I'll ever_ be_ in that position?" Inuyasha retorted. Sesshomaru smirked, continuing to walk forwards as Rin left them to their conversation, and resumed along the road ahead of them.  
"If you do not provide me with young soon, I will have no choice but to assume you are sterile," Sesshomaru answered blankly. Inuyasha couldn't help the way his back went up at that, even if he didn't quite understand why.  
"Forgetting the promise to not screw around with other people?" he all-but hissed.  
"Glad to see you recall last night a little better now. Do you also recall your promise to satisfy me also?"

Inuyasha's blush darkened (if that were possible), a low growl creeping past his lips. "I sucked you off didn't I?"  
"Eloquently put, Little brother…." Again, the Demon lord abandoned the conversation, realising he'd somehow (and inadvertently) caused the upset that had been subsiding to swell in the mark adorning his hip – meaning that he'd upset Inuyasha, again.

_How does one __**talk**__ to him when all he does is sulk?_ Sesshomaru wondered, watching the girl ahead of him, though not really noticing her at that point. _If Takara's only advice is to be nice to him then I will never get anywhere with him – he is just too insistent on being difficult instead of accepting his fate…_

Eventually the mid-morning sun found the brothers and Rin making their way back towards the castle grounds. Once again, the villagers of the castle market greeted them warmly, bowing low to them as they past through. Inuyasha couldn't help but stare at them in wonder – had Sesshomaru told them to respect him? Or perhaps they were not bowing to him at all, just Sesshomaru and Rin? He wasn't sure of anything anymore, but he knew that there was no way all these demons would treat him so chivalrously by their own choice. _Sesshomaru has definitely said something,_ he thought, nearly colliding into his brother as the Demon Lord paused suddenly at a particular merchant's.

"Ah, Lord Sesshomaru!" the shrill, ragged voice hurt Inuyasha's ears, and an elderly man came tottering out from the back of the stall, tow young identical girls in his wake. "How may I help you? Is young Rin looking for another kimono?" Sesshomaru ignored him momentarily, evidently browsing the materials on show, running claws fingers slowly over it – more than likely judging its quality.  
"Indeed," he answered the man at last, raising his eyes to the greying demon, who was so unlike the females at his side. Slightly round and aged, he was completely different to the youthful, dark-haired-voluptuous girls; each dressed in a pale lilac yukata, with their hair tied back loosely behind them. Inuyasha inclined his head slightly, not able to help staring at them in confusion, upon seeing that they also, could not take their eyes of him as they looked to each other, speaking behind their hands in girlish whispers.

"Allow me to introduce you to my daughters, Sir," he said, addressing Inuyasha when he noticed Sesshomaru was in no hurry to tell him what he wanted. "Please meet Ayane and Ayaka," he said, each of the identical girls bowing courteously to him. Inuyasha blinked.  
"Y-Yeah," he replied nervously, unconsciously shifting behind Sesshomaru's shadow a little more. Sesshomaru smirked, though said nothing. If Inuyasha was so easily affected by an adolescent girl's childish awe then he wouldn't show him up by bringing it to light. Beforehand, the twins would whisper not so secret admirations about himself that they believed his demonic senses couldn't hear, though he realised then, that perhaps Inuyasha (being a half-demon) might _not_ be able to hear the flushed complements they were whispering to each other behind their hands.

"Okay, seriously!" Inuyasha snapped, still blushing, "stop freakin' _staring_ at me and _whispering_! It's getting creepy!" To this, the girls bowed low again, Sesshomaru not failing to noticing how Inuyasha flushed darker than ever, averting his gaze as their short yukata hitched up slightly. _Takara did say he was young, he thought. I didn't realise quite how immature his reaction to female attention was…_

"We apologise Sir," the girl on the right replied softly, "we were merely wondering if you were in fact Lord Inuyasha."

Sesshomaru's smirked widened a little, noting that they had lied, though he would not embarrass (and in turn _irritate_) Inuyasha by letting them know.

"Err, yeah I suppose I am," Inuyasha responded, trying to look interested in something else in the shop, so as to postpone the moment when he'd have to meet their girlishly admiring eyes.

"In any case," Sesshomaru stated, seeming finally willing to speak, "Lord Inuyasha requires an entire new wardrobe to be commissioned. Having hand-made Rin's clothing you are aware that sloppiness will not be tolerated. Those of my house will accept no less than the best, is that in any way unclear, Hayate?" The man shook his head, gesturing for his Lord to follow him to the back of the shop.  
"No my Lord, it is perfectly clear, the higher quality materials are stored back here. If you would like to peruse them feel free. Sesshomaru paused, turning to meet Inuyasha. That gaze directed in his direction startled him a little, and it took him a few moments to realise Sesshomaru wanted him to follow. As Inuyasha made his way towards him, Sesshomaru noted Rin, obediently waited by the door, though stared around her with an odd sense of longing. "Have these women find you something to your liking, Rin," the Demon Lord said, watching a smile grace the child's lips. "I will be back shortly."

Inuyasha found himself proved wrong on many occasions over the last few minutes. His accusations against Sesshomaru, that he would be a cruel, unforgiving and unfit father were quashed at the sight of him pampering and spoiling that overly-happy little human girl. She was always polite, considerate and obedient to him, perhaps that was to his credit because he never had to raise his voice to her either, not like he (Inuyasha that is) ever had to do with Shippo. _He's not quite the cold-hearted bastard he fancies himself to be,_ the Half-demon thought, as he found himself (once again) snatched from his daydreaming thoughtfulness, and back into reality by slamming into Sesshomaru who had (again) stopped without his noticing.

Staring around them, Inuyasha found himself with Sesshomaru and the merchant Hayate in what could only be described as a store room. Shelves upon shelves of mountainous materials were folded carefully, or hanging up all around them – he couldn't _count_ how many stacks of the stuff there was! "Here, My Lords, naturally anything here is my finest works, please take a look around."

It was a credit to Sesshomaru of how frightened of him this salesman was, he stood out of their way, not daring to watch them for too long at any given time, and did not at any point try to force any product off on them. _Guess there's a fine line between fear and respect,_ he thought, looking to Sesshomaru as the demon caught his arm gently.

"Choose the material you like, Inuyasha," he said; voice smoothing over the Half-demon's ears and sending a shiver down his spine. _What's going on with me? Why's he affecting me like this? Is it the mark?_ Realising he was staring again, he tore his eyes from Sesshomaru's looking a little lost as he glanced up and down the shelves stacked high with fabric. "If I might make a suggestion," The Demon lord said as nicely as he could manage. "Hayate generally charges more for the fabrics of more quality." It was like some odd spell, a single cast flew from Sesshomaru in Hayate's direction and the little demon shot to their side, staring up at him patiently.  
"I expect you to serve him with utmost politeness and _sincerity_," he said warningly, "show him your more expensive wares." Hayate nodded swiftly, darting over to the side and seizing (what seemed like random) layers of fabric from the shelves, piling them up in his arms. Inuyasha moved aside as the little demon brushed past him, laying the materials out on the long table that stood along the wall.

"Here, Lord Inuyasha," he said rather excitedly (evidently Sesshomaru was a good customer). Sesshomaru seemed to linger in the doorway, watching them closely as Hayate bowed an scraped to his younger sibling, nothing short of lavishing him with the materials, which Inuyasha shyly (and rather embarrassedly) ran his fingers over. "Lord Sesshomaru of course accepts nothing short of the finest demon-woven silks for himself and Lady Rin," Hayate divulged to him, as Inuyasha stopped to look at some crimson fabric that seemed to undulate beneath his fingers, as if it had a life of its own.  
"Inuyasha may choose whatever he wants," Sesshomaru assured the round-faced demon. "As I am sure you are aware, Hayate, money is of no importance." Hayate's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets.  
"Y-Yes, My Lord." Inuyasha glanced at his older sibling carefully. What was he playing at?

"If you are fond of red, Sire," Hayate began, "what you have there is a form of silk woven from the threads of demonic-"  
"-Do not harass him, Hayate," Sesshomaru interrupted from his place by the door, noting that Inuyasha didn't seem to take well to the attention. He didn't seem to like being watched nor waited on so diligently.  
"No, of course not, My Lord," the Demon acknowledged, taking away materials Inuyasha had completely disregarded, and placing new ones in their place. The Half-demon was all-too aware that Sesshomaru's eyes were boring into him, evidently watching whatever his gaze or fingers wavered over for more than a brief moment. _Is he dumb or something?_ Inuyasha thought, not really sure what he was supposed to be judging about these materials he'd been presented with. _How am I supposed to know which ones to choose…? What if it pick the wrong ones?_

This pang of confusion from Inuyasha carried through their mark and Sesshomaru moved forwards slowly, making sure to brush his marked side against Inuyasha as he did so, the contact sending little tremors through his scar as it was touched, and so through Inuyasha, causing him to shudder at the sensations. "We will take these," Sesshomaru stated, gesturing to the fabrics Inuyasha's hand had wavered over indecisively, in what the Demon Lord now recognised as shyness and confusion. _If he does not wish to tell me he wants something, I will have to notice the signs and do it myself… _

It was strange, he realised, as Hayate showed them back to the front of the shop, placing the materials to the side carefully (along with the kimono Rin had evidently chosen). His brother was such a loud, brash person, and yet he could not be assertive enough to tell him what he wanted. _Quizzical indeed,_ he thought, eyes never wavering from Inuyasha's form as Hayate dropped to the floor, taking a rather awkward looking Inuyasha's measurements.

"Excellent!" Hayate all-but squeaked as he gathered himself to his feet.  
"Indeed, you will have the garments finished and sent on to the castle. Is that clear?" Hayate nodded at Sesshomaru's words, bidding them a courteous farewell, Ayaka and Ayane bowing low to them as they departed.

"It seems you are uncomfortable under the close scrutiny of females," Sesshomaru acknowledged, relishing in the way those ears (that never ceased to amuse him) flickered with embarrassment.  
"Keh, whatever…" Inuyasha growled, wishing nothing more than to forget the truth in that statement and once again, the Demon Lord complied to his silent wishes.

"Are there any necessities you require before we head back to the castle, Inuyasha?" The Half-demon frowned.  
"_'Necessities'_?" He repeated, "What do you think I am, a woman? I don't _need_ anything; you're the one that's insisting on forcing elaborate gifts on me!"

Sesshomaru (far from enraged by the outburst), ignored the few surrounding villagers (who'd stopped to observe Inuyasha after being startled by his sudden leap in volume) and regarded his younger sibling with impassive understanding.

"It is not about treating you like a female or forcing gifts upon you," he began his tone as impassive as ever. "It is about trying to please you, in this period of courtship. Giving you things you have never had the opportunity to have before. I am merely showing you how life could be with me, here." He gestured about them, Inuyasha's gaze following that hand in its movement, even as it came to rest on his unmarked shoulder almost tentatively. The Demon Lord searched his mind for some small portion of wisdom imparted by Takara, and swiftly found words that he was sure would betray his reputation…

A hand moved seemingly of its own accord to sift through the downy softness of silver locks, as Sesshomaru's eyes met Inuyasha's, the latter of which still bearing confusion and uncertainty. "If I can respect how difficult it is for you to make this transition, can you not in turn respect that I am attempting to make that transition easier for you to the best of my ability?" For the first time (at least in regard to his brother), Inuyasha felt a swell of ungratefulness, and guilt rise up in his chest. It would seem true, that Sesshomaru (for the most part) was giving him what he wanted. He wanted the affection that was lavished on Rin and Sesshomaru gave it to him. He'd wanted assurance and kind words and they were offered to him.

_There is nothing wrong with getting what you want,_ Inuyasha found his demon conscience suggesting. Inuyasha sighed heavily. No, there was surely nothing wrong with being doted-on and indulged after a lifetime of misery and neglect. In fact, it would be all-too-easy (and all-too-tempting) to give into it, but it was not the affection that unnerved him, and had his temper flaring at every available moment; it was the insincerity of that affection.

_Sesshomaru is only doing this to get what he wants,_ his human mind assured him. Inuyasha found his overruling judgement inclined to agree. When had his brother ever given him anything without having some ulterior motive? _Never,_ he concluded sadly. When it came down to it, Sesshomaru could in fact offer him everything he could ever want for in life, but it would never be because he wanted Inuyasha to be happy, and it would never be done without expecting anything in return. And it would not matter, because it would never be accompanied by the one thing he both desired and needed most…

"Shall we head back to the castle?" Sesshomaru suggested, realising he wasn't to expect a reply from his suddenly very distant little brother. "It is time for Rin's lessons in any case, and I imagine you would like something to eat soon, would you not?" He found an irritating surge of worry flutter within his chest when Inuyasha's mood did not perk, even at the mention of food. Was he feeling unwell again?

The Demon Lord brushed clawed fingertips unthinkingly over his mark, causing both of the siblings to fall prey to an involuntary shudder. No, it was not sickness. It was instead more of that confounded depression that seemed to take the half-demon over at random intervals. _I will have to learn, and learn quickly what subjects arouse this misery,_ Sesshomaru thought as he, Inuyasha and Rin continued towards the castle, _and in doing so, learn how to avoid it…_

Inuyasha's bad mood evaporated swiftly after lunch, (as Sesshomaru predicted) and a great deal of the afternoon was comprised of Sesshomaru's personal tour of the castle and its ridiculous amount of accompanying grounds. It was more interesting than Inuyasha would have suspected, though he was quite sure he would not recall where _any_ of it was a later on. At one point they even crossed Nannami in the middle of what looked like Rin's music lessons (though his brother quickly moved on, claiming he didn't want to interrupt them).

So as the veil of dark slumber fell over the castle, the night found the brothers in their now shared chambers, both undressed for bed, though with the younger sibling regarding his brother with a peculiar lack of understanding, as the Demon Lord combed his own hair diligently. "Prissy moron…" Inuyasha grumbled, bringing a smirk to Sesshomaru's lips. "How can you look at your own reflection so long without getting bored?"  
"Clearly that statement says a lot more about you than it does about me, Inuyasha," the Demon replied, continuing to smooth the comb through his hair. "Taking pride in one's appearance is nothing to sneer at."  
"Keh, whatever…" griped Inuyasha, crossing his arms across his naked chest, though folding his clothed legs beneath him uncomfortably. "There's a fine line between 'pride' and 'vanity'."

Setting aside the comb, Sesshomaru took something else up into his hand, before gathering himself to his feet gracefully and making his way over to his brother. "What're you doing?" Inuyasha questioned nervously, shifting back up the bed slightly.  
"It would not hurt you to brush that defiant hair of yours more often," Sesshomaru replied, pressuring the Half-demon's shoulders a little, letting him know to keep still. "It would be so much more attractive if you took more care of it." Inuyasha scoffed at the notion, wincing as he felt a sharp tugging of the roots of his hair and his scalp.  
"Ouch! What're you DOING?"  
"Silence, do not be so childish. Of all the wounds you've suffered over the years and you cannot handle a simple _brushing_?" The Demon Lord asked tersely, pausing only to rub some sweet scented oils through his fingers and in turn, through Inuyasha's hair, before continuing.

Inuyasha flinched in apprehension of that damned brush, though when it resumed its downwards motions, this time it glided from root to tip easily, encountering only a few minor tangles and smoothing them out almost painlessly. It was concoctions such as this, and the pain-relieving potions of Takara's that made him appreciate being part demon just then, and he sighed involuntarily, not realising he was leaning further and further into the almost delicate pampering. In all his memory, he could not recall such an amount of _positive_ attention focused solely on him, though he found himself liking it a little too much.

Slow, subtle, soothing motions caressed his hair and scalp, as he defiantly stifled the small growl of appreciation that had been brewing in his throat. Despite himself, Inuyasha could not help but silently encourage the touch, even pressing further back to try and get Sesshomaru to pay attention to his ears, but the older sibling didn't seem to heed the silent request. Finally those hands moved away, and Inuyasha could not help but feel slightly disappointed that it was over.

"If you brush your hair more often it will look and feel even better," Sesshomaru assured him, watching Inuyasha seize a portion of his tamed hair carefully, examining the shining strands. Though Inuyasha could not help but notice the foreboding smirk twitching at his brother's lips, and think he'd not only been referring to the feel of his hair in that statement…

The Half-demon scooted backwards across the bed, pulling the covers up over him and closing his eyes to the room as he lay down on his side of the bed. He heard the candles being blown out one by one and felt Sesshomaru climb in beside him. "You never did question Rin about the story of Father and your mother," Sesshomaru acknowledged as he shifted forwards slightly, so that the warmth of his torso greeted Inuyasha's back. Inuyasha's eyes opened, only just remembering that he'd wanted to ask her that – but then again, it _had_ been a long day. "Do not worry, there will be plenty of opportunities – she is _most_ unlikely to forget a single detail any time soon," The Demon Lord assured him, as a strong, warmth encircled his waist, drawing him back against Sesshomaru's chest.

When Inuyasha did not resist or pull away, Sesshomaru's eyes fluttered closed, brushing his nose against the nape of that exposed neck. The scent of that flustered body drove him to the edge of insanity, his body heat soared and his grip on that slender form tightened slightly. Oh how it killed him to not obey his urges and hold Inuyasha down and take him once more. He was sure that after this morning Inuyasha wouldn't refuse initially, though to disregard Takara's advice would end badly, of that he was sure. He grit his teeth against his desires, though did not relinquish his hold on the Half-demon. He would have to suffer this for a little while yet, if he was to convince Inuyasha that they could forge a relationship between them that did not solely concern sex.

The delicate breeze shuddering against his arm and the soft movements of Inuyasha's chest rising and falling with each breath told him he was asleep. Carefully, the Demon Lord leaned over him, staring down at peaceful, untroubled features, lips slightly parted with slumbering breaths. He found his hand tracing the soft features slowly, the heat pooling in his groin tightening his muscles to an almost painful extent. Regretfully he pulled back form the embrace, if what he had planned for tomorrow was to go well, Inuyasha would have to wake up unsoiled by their _spendings,_ at least for once.

Silently Sesshomaru made his way across the room, closing the adjoined washroom door as he walked in. Slumping to the ground, the very movement lacking the grace he was known for, and parted the folds of his sleeping kimono to better access the new 'problem' that had 'arisen'.

TBC

Name Meanings (note: name meaning can very depending on how they're written in kanji)  
Hayate - Means 'Smooth' in japanese  
Ayaka - From (aya) "colour" combined with (ka) "flower"  
Ayane - From (aya) "kimono design" combined with (ne) "sound".

A/N: Woot! Sesshomaru's gettin' steamy all by his lonesome XD Come on, he needed a bit of punishment from before - how much can I torture him? or more accurately you guys ^.^ Okies, did ya like the first attempt from Sesshomaru at courtship? yes? No? Maybe then, I'll settle for that. The next chapter is ALOT more eventful that the last, so dont worry ^_^ I have devious things in store muahahaha!

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	13. Abide in Me and I Vow To You

Author's Note:

**There is supposed to be a sex scene in this chapter, if you want to read the full version, please go to my profile and follow the link. **

Merry Christmas to all! Only one chapter today in time for christmas but I will upload the next two in a few days for you to enjoy! :D

Chapter Thirteen  
**Abide In Me and I Vow To You…**

A comforting dimness greeted his eyes as they fluttered open, and staring about him through the haze of sleep Inuyasha allowed a sigh to brush past his lips, before rolling over onto his side. He couldn't help the way his nose twitched and ears flicked up at the sight and smell of what lay next to him. A large tray sat beside him, laid with lavish dishes of foods he previously couldn't have hoped to even lay eyes on before. Propping himself up onto his elbow, Inuyasha stared down at it for a moment, gathering his thoughts and recalling the night before – and recalling also sharing a bed with Sesshomaru, and not being pushed into any further intimacy. But as the hazy mist of sleep receded his senses depicted the prominent scent of someone else in the room beside him.

The fully-clothed form of Sesshomaru stood beside the closed shutters, arms folded as he gazed at him thoughtfully (which he had evidently been doing for some time). "You slept well, Little Brother." It was more of a statement than a question, though Inuyasha merely shrugged, sitting up against the plush cushions.  
"What's the occasion?" he asked suspiciously. When Sesshomaru didn't seem to comprehend his meaning, the Half-demon gestured to the breakfast tray, causing a smirk to play at the older brother's lips.  
"No occasion in particular, other than the lie-in I promised you," the Demon explained simply. Inuyasha looked at him, and then at the food, sitting up a little straighter as he reached for his chopsticks.

"Sure you don't want some?" The Half-demon managed out through large mouthfuls of food. Sesshomaru shook his head slightly, heading towards the door.  
"You may stay in bed as long as you like, though when you feel ready to get up, I have something I would like to show you…" The words were left for Inuyasha to ponder as the Demon Lord left the room, closing the door behind him. Finding himself apprehensive of what to expect, Inuyasha ate the rest of his food a little slower than usual – in fact as slow as physically possible without ceasing to chew at all. And even after the tray was pushed to the side, quite empty, he found himself sliding back into the warmth of the sheets, staring up at the canopy over the bed.

This silent pensiveness didn't last long however. He wasn't a person who could sit still and think for any large amount of time without his thoughts, problems and anxiety overcoming him until he felt completely suffocated – creating all new problems of their own, without solving anything. It was for this reason that he got out of bed not long after he'd finished breakfast, deciding to wash (again as slowly as possible) before braving whatever surprises Sesshomaru had in store.

A light breeze caressed obsidian tendrils of hair, as Rin swung her legs backwards and forth – unable to touch the ground with her feet whilst in this particular chair. Nannami offered her a smile from across the table, watching the human girl paint the Japanese characters on the parchment, practising her calligraphy. "What is Lord Sesshomaru doing?" the girl asked. The Demoness smiled again, leaning back in her own seat.  
"I have no idea, more than likely trying to win over Lord Inuyasha," Nannami answered. Rin looked puzzled.  
"What does that mean?"

Nannami sighed slightly. "We studied this, remember, Lady Rin? About the aspects of demon courtship?" When Rin nodded her understanding, Nannami continued, choosing her words carefully, "Lord Sesshomaru is trying to show Lord Inuyasha why he should stay with us – become part of his family if you like."

The girl frowned, setting down her brush for the moment. "You mean Lord Inuyasha might not want to stay with us?" Rin asked, but Nannami didn't answer. "Then I will make Master Jaken stop being mean to him, and make Lord Inuyasha want to stay with Lord Sesshomaru and I. I will be on my best behaviour. I promise!"

Again a smile graced Nannami's features as she stared at the resolute little face.  
"Indeed, well begin by continuing with your scripture, alright?"

Rin picked up her brush once more. "Yes Nannami-sensei," she agreed chirpily, "But what if Lord Inuyasha – Lord Inuyasha?" Nannami turned in the direction Rin's gaze wandered, and through the ornate arches that formed the doorways from the courtyard they sat in, she watched Inuyasha walk towards them, looking about them slightly.

"Hey, do you know where Sesshomaru is?" Inuyasha asked. Rin beamed at him, causing him to frown slightly in confusion, though he said nothing.  
"I think he's with Takara – in the Eastern Wing," Nannami answered, "do you want me to-?"  
"Oh no, it's alright, I'll go find him." He watched the two for a moment, not really sure what to say, before simply turning from them, and heading towards the Eastern Wing – if he could remember its location anyway. _Well, 'Eastern' should give me some clue,_ he thought.

It was irritating that his senses (since waking up) had decided to go haywire and work only when they seemed to feel like it. Right now, his hearing and taste and sight seemed fine, though his sense of smell had faded, and that fact eliminated the option of following his brother's scent to wherever he was. And again that same weighted feeling was troubling him – then again, he supposed it was just another aspect of having a mate. He felt weighed down by simply bearing his own emotional baggage, let alone his reserved, asshole of an older brother's baggage as well. All in all, his physical experience of having a mate – for the most part was proving troublesome, and he was not sure he liked it at all.

Eventually he came to the Eastern wing, having suffered many snide remarks and judging stares after asking more than one rude servant for directions. It _would_ have served them right if he'd told Sesshomaru, and they all gained the ability to breathe out of a brand new hole that wasn't their mouth or nose.

_"…if anyone refuses your orders, you are to inform me, and they will be dealt with. If you are to stay here, impudence must be dealt with early on…"_

Well they hadn't refused, but they'd been rude, hurtful and darn right _difficult_ about it, was that the same thing? All the same, he couldn't bring himself to run to Sesshomaru at the first sign of trouble, the servants were entitled to scorn a filthy half-breed, and he was not going to act the childish brat who needed Sesshomaru to defend him, and admit how much it hurt to be looked at and spoken to in that way.

He was so swamped by his own problems that he had been standing at the door the previous servant had directed him to for several silent moments now, and had yet to even knock on the door. A frown creased his brow and he stared at the shoji screen carefully, not entirely sure _why_ he'd even bothered to seek his brother out, when in reality, Sesshomaru leaving him alone in the room that morning had been the perfect opportunity to escape. It was just more proof that the Demon Lord had become so sure he'd stay. _Or more likely, so sure he could catch me, _Inuyasha's mind supplied, raising his hand to knock on the door. Before he could however, the door had slid open. The Half-demon jumped slightly, his eyes greeted by two familiar figures within the large hall beyond the now open screen.

"Glad to see you could join us, Lord Inuyasha," the man that had opened the door said with a smile, bowing low. The Half-demon tried to ignore Takara's usual politeness, and met Sesshomaru's eyes at last, as the Demon Lord headed towards him, dressed in his usual attire, though having neglected to wear his armour once more, which gave him a strangely casual appearance – an appearance which was only altered by the sword tied to his side – Tokijin.  
"Indeed, did you enjoy your late morning?" Sesshomaru asked. Inuyasha, again could only offer a shrug in answer, not really sure how to react to the distinct 'niceness' in his brother's voice.

"Well, if that will be all, My Lord," Takara began, turning to Sesshomaru, "I will return to my duties regarding the Midsummer's eve gathering?" The Demon Lord nodded in answer, excusing the healer from the room, and calling Inuyasha forward. Upon reaching each other in the centre of the room, their eyes met for a further moment, before the eldest brother broke the awkward silence that had again fallen.

"I had ordered the work on this room to be completed before this morning, however they had only finished a few hours ago. Nevertheless, their efforts fail to displease me – do you share my view?"

Inuyasha stared at him for a moment in disbelief, before tearing his gaze from him, and gazing around the room in which they stood. The tatami styled room was crisp white, lined with exposed, dark beams, the mat covering the floor greeting the Half-demon's bare feet with surprising smoothness. Though what caught his attention most was the various shelves and brackets, some empty, though some occupied with what interested him most – swords.

"A dojo?" he asked, as if he dared not believe his eyes. Sesshomaru nodded, a small smile creeping across his features, evidently pleased with how accurate his prediction of Inuyasha's reaction was. "Is this the surprise?"  
"Indeed," the Demon answered, continuing to watch his sibling as he drank in every detail of the room with a youthful delight that gave him the look of a small child at Christmas.  
"Is it for me?"  
"It is." The simple, seemingly uncaring answers failed to dent the euphoria that seemed to form around Inuyasha. It was as if he'd never been _given_ a present before. _Or hadn't he?_ Sesshomaru wondered suddenly, recalling vividly all of the occasions in his childhood where he was given toys or other gifts – too many events to count in his admittedly spoilt youth. He was doted on and showered with gifts, and even now, merely remembering it, he could not _imagine _what it would feel like to have lived his childhood, never receiving any of it.

Why hadn't he ever thought what it must have been like for a boy left alone at Inuyasha's age, waking up to no one, _having_ no one, and therefore never waking up on his birthday with so much as one small present to commemorate his existence. Sesshomaru may have considered himself untouchable by such ridiculous things as emotions, but even he could not otherwise justify the swell of pity, guilt and sadness that rose up in his throat.

"Do you remember when your own birthday is, Inuyasha?" He almost immediately regretted the asking of this question as the Half-demon turned, a pained nostalgia gracing his features.  
"The second month of winter," he answered quietly – too quiet for Inuyasha's voice, "the night of the full moon." Sesshomaru looked (and was) surprised that his brother could recall his exact day of birth after centuries of having no one to remind him of it. "What? You think because I had no one to share it with I would have forgotten? I was young when my mother died but I wasn't young enough to be spared waking up the same day every year, and knowing its significance but never expecting it to _be_ significant to anybody else."

A silent moment passed between them, Sesshomaru guiding his brother over to the nearest bracket and running clawed fingers loosely over the empty slots. "This was the room where Father taught me how to wield a sword - though, when he fell, it (along with the rest of the rooms within the castle that are associated with more _personal_ memories of him) became abandoned."

Inuyasha finally realising the significant of the storage Sesshomaru seemed to be admiring, felt slightly shocked at his brother's show of even that slither of emotion. "And that's where Sou'unga, Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga used to sit when father didn't use them, I suppose?" Inuyasha asked, for some reason unknown even to himself, sparing his brother's pride by not questing any further into the subject of sentimentality.  
"Indeed, though that was more recently. At the time of my training, it was only Sou'unga that stood there. Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga were only forged after Father met your mother."

Inuyasha nearly hit himself for that. How could he have forgotten one of the few facts Myoga _hadn't_ neglected to tell him? That the swords that he and Sesshomaru had both fought for and used to battle side-by-side, were forged by Inu-no-Taishou to protect Lady Izayoi. _Actually, come to think of it, it was Totosai, not Myoga that told me that,_ he mentally corrected himself.

"Enough of the tiresome history lesson," Sesshomaru announced suddenly, causing Inuyasha to jolt from his thoughtfulness and nearly out of his skin, as his older brother manoeuvred across the room, drawing Tokijin from the sheath at his side. "Would you care to spar or not?"

Inuyasha flushed slightly at what he soon realised was a completely overeager movement, seizing the hilt of Tetsusaiga and yanking it rather unceremoniously into his hands. His fingers seemed to practically hum as the blade transformed in his hands – it seemed an age since he'd been able to face someone that could (in theory) have killed him, and his enthusiasm to feel the rush of battle (even a feigned one) caused his heart to thud a little faster.

"Before we begin," said Sesshomaru as Inuyasha moved into fighting stance, "I would ask you why you carried Tetsusaiga at your side in the castle walls." The Half-demon blinked, in truth, not knowing the answer himself. He shrugged.  
"Habit."  
"Are you sure you do not mean 'for your own comfort'?" Sesshomaru asked, the slightest hint of teasing in his voice. "Such as a form of 'safety blanket'?" At this Inuyasha flushed, leaping forwards. The two blades sang as they crashed into each other, each seeing combat after what seemed like _far_ too long, and relishing it almost as much as their owners.

Whilst Inuyasha drank in the welcomed rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins, Sesshomaru returned the feigned aggression blow for blow, though his pleasure in it derived from the flushed features and parted lips of that youthfully thrilled face as well, distracting him enough for the blunt hilt of Tetsusaiga to crash into his jaw. Whilst he found himself oddly pleased with seeing the return of his little brother's trademark aggression, (showing that perhaps not all of the 'old Inuyasha' was completely lost) the blow served to daze him briefly, a split-second hurtling past in which the Half-demon's legs swung forward, knocking his brother's legs out from under him.

A strange sort of satisfaction mingled with the trepidation of Sesshomaru's reaction as he held Tetsusaiga down against him, breathlessness causing his chest to heave in and out rapidly. And all the while the Demon Lord stared up at him, a quite undecipherable look crossing his features. "It was down to a mere technicality that you won this round," Sesshomaru said, gathering himself to his feet as Inuyasha stood back slightly. "You will not be so lucky this time." But as Inuyasha darted at him one more with the almost wild gracelessness, the older brother found himself distracted once more, though this time by the thought of how Inuyasha might react to the next event he had planned for them later on that day.

Come lunch time, the shoji screen slid open, the young girl pushing it further back with her foot as she steadied the tray in her hands. The brothers sat in the centre of the room, evidently awaiting the servant's arrival with their food, as they had already set aside the weapons they had been practising with before she'd entered. Setting the tray down, the girl bowed low to the lords, awaiting Sesshomaru's command, before departing silently, leaving them quite alone in the room once more.

"I'm shattered," Inuyasha growled out, seizing up his plate swiftly, beginning the assault he called eating on the plate. Sesshomaru smirked, congratulating himself in his success at finding something Inuyasha took pleasure in that _wasn't_ eating, as he watched a contented (though tired) expression settle on his brother's features. "You are not too tired, I trust, for somewhat of a walk after your meal has settled in your stomach?" Inuyasha stared at him, his mouth too full of food to verbally answer. "I have something else I would like to show you."

Inuyasha winced as he struggled to swallow, the large mouthful hurting his throat briefly as he tried to empty his mouth as quickly as possible.  
"Another surprise?" he asked, blushing in the realisation of how childish he must have sounded. That same smirk greeted Sesshomaru's lips.  
"Indeed, but if you are too tired I will simply take you there tomo-"  
"-No," Inuyasha intervened rather quickly, "I'm fine – I'm part demon as well as human you know. My body's built to withstand a lot more than a few hours of sparring."  
"All the same," The Demon said picking up his chopsticks, "I will wait for your food to digest before we leave. It will not do to have a half-demon with a stomach-ache trailing behind me the whole way."

At this remark Inuyasha scowled, though dropped a considerable amount of food from what _was_ going to be his next mouthful so that it would actually fit in his mouth without risking choking or suffocation.

The early afternoon sun greeted the backs of the brothers in unison with the soft breeze licking at silver hair as they moved onwards across the open plains after the forest they had just departed from. They had made fairly swift progress from the castle and through the woodland that they had walked in with Rin the previous day, and though _Inuyasha_ had no idea where they were headed (and his eagerness to know was betrayed frequently by his words or expressions) _Sesshomaru_ knew as they took casual steps down the mild hillside that they were almost there.

The lush, long grass brushed against their thighs as they made their way down, the rich wilderness calling out to something in the half-demon that he couldn't give a name to. But he relished in the sight, sound, smell and _feel_ of the untamed grass, earth and wildlife – he could even _taste_ it on the air at times as it fluttered past them. And again, his content was betrayed through his mark, and Sesshomaru smirked. "We are nearly there Inuyasha," he divulged, knowing his words only served to stoke the fire of curiousness brewing in Inuyasha.

As they descended the hill, the song of running water caressed their ears, and not long after reaching the bottom, the crystal-clear, sheer-blue stream was within sight. Stepping down onto the bank dressed with smooth rock, Sesshomaru paused for Inuyasha to do the same, before turning to him. "You see the bend in the river up ahead, where it turns out of sight between those two steep hillsides?" he asked, and Inuyasha nodded, feeling slightly awkward at their situation now he pondered it. He felt like such a girl at this moment he was surprised to feel the need to urinate move towards his still _very male_ anatomy.

"It is the secluded space beyond that bend we are headed to," Sesshomaru revealed. Inuyasha shifted awkwardly, his discomfort betrayed to his mate once more. "Is something the matter, Inuyasha?"

The Half-demon shrugged. "I need to go," he admitted rather bluntly, watching his brother strain to _not_ roll his eyes at his choice of words that had all-but slaughtered the mood he'd so far left quite alone.  
"But you went not long ago. Do you not recall us having to stop before?"  
"Whatever," Inuyasha snorted, "I need to go again. Or do you propose I just piss myself?"  
"Then go quickly."

Inuyasha flushed, not moving, which caused his brother to raise a brow. "You do not suggest I turn again? This is becoming tiresome. I have seen what you have to offer quite a few times before now, Little brother."  
"Just turn away and stop being a prick," Inuyasha growled, the Demon Lord offering a small growl in irritation as he turned to face the stream.

Upon relieving the pressure that had so quickly built up in his bladder, Inuyasha permitted Sesshomaru to lead him along the bank, no small amount of anticipation as to where they were going and _why_ they were going there beginning to seize him once more. Golden eyes gazed over the water cascading from the hillsides that created steep cliffs at the turn in the river, creating great arches between the two waterfalls and the overhang, large enough for Sesshomaru to lead him through without getting wet.

"Am I the only one you've taken to this 'place'?" Inuyasha asked as he followed his brother through the watery archway, watching his feet carefully in case he slipped on the smooth pebbles underfoot. He wasn't sure why he was asking, or why he felt the need to make some form of conversation, but he did nevertheless.  
"It is not the kind of place you can bring just anyone to," the Demon Lord answered expressionlessly; "Our father brought my mother here, and me, and your mother. It would be imprudent for me to bring anyone other than you here." The words greeted his ears that were already humming pleasantly with the sound of running water, and his all-too-hopeful mind couldn't help but wonder if Sesshomaru had meant he couldn't have brought anyone but him there because he was of his blood, or because of something much more personal that each of the people their father had brought here seemed to share…

With this new question swirling through his mind, he raised his eyes to Sesshomaru as they moved around the river-bend, and what seemed like a myriad of colours captured his vision. The overhang of the cliffs were adorned with aged trees that's leafed branches hung over the dell – the small valley that's edges were shaded by the branches, the now grassy bank extending out a little further than it had further on up the river, meeting the edges of the pool which was a near-perfect circle.

It seemed like a blissful eternity before he dared draw breath. It all seemed so surreal, that he found it all-too-good that his eyes opened and closed, only to find both the hidden retreat and his brother still there. "What is this place?" he asked, noticing the small smirk that met his brother's lips, though did not answer. Instead he held out a clawed hand, the Half-demon taking a few moments to register that he was asking for the bag that was slung carelessly over his shoulder.

As Sesshomaru laid the blanket from within the bag onto the grass under the copious amount of shade, Inuyasha stood framed by the gentle flow of the water, watching his brother carefully. "What're you doing?" he asked, partially in wonderment at his recently nice gestures, and partially in shock at seeing him carry out common tasks such as laying a blanket on the ground.

Sesshomaru turned to look upon him at the question. "Preparing the ground for us to rest on before we endeavour to catch dinner – Or would you prepare to not eat at all?" he answered with a knowing smirk. Inuyasha scowled slightly.  
"No," he answered, moving forwards to snatch the blanket out of the other bag and spread it rather unceremoniously beside the other.

The familiar light breeze rustling his hair tugged at his senses as time drew slowly by. The afternoon sky swam above them with a wash of blues that began to fall away to orangey-pinks. Water lolled against his waist docilely as he stared down into the clear pool, arms poised up against his naked torso, waiting. Suddenly Inuyasha's hands dived forwards and between them snatched the struggling fish that had tried to swim past him unnoticed. "HA!" Inuyasha cried as he made his way back to the bank, tossing the fish alongside the others he and Sesshomaru had managed to catch, before throwing himself carelessly back onto the grass.

"You give up so easily, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said complacently, still half-submerged in the water, though fully-clothed apart from his fur, swords and armour, which lay on the bank near Inuyasha.  
"Keh, whatever," the Half-demon responded, sitting up slowly, basking in the last rays of the sun as he unconsciously allowed his gaze to waver over his older brother longer than perhaps he should have. "Why are you wearing all those damn clothes when you're fishing?" he asked, confused.

Sesshomaru paused in his movements to look over at him. "So eager to see my flesh exposed, Little brother?"

Inuyasha scoffed at the idea, leaning back on the support of his hands as he stared up at the canopy the overhanging trees formed overhead, in order to distract himself from thinking of Sesshomaru's aforementioned body."Just asking why you don't take your hitoe off or something, geez," Inuyasha grumbled, not really caring that Sesshomaru's demonic senses could pick upon each word perfectly clear.

"Do not presume to feel it necessary for you to worry yourself about my clothing, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said, clawed fingers shooting into the watery depths, swiftly retreating back into sight, a fish flailing uselessly in his claws' grasp. With the final catch he joined Inuyasha on the bank, settling gracefully on his own blanket and dropping the fresh caught onto the small pile.

"You need not have waited on my account," the Demon Lord revealed, observing his brother with just the slightest confusion.  
"I wasn't waiting on you," Inuyasha answered, gaze never wandering from the skies, "I was waiting for you to start a fire." Sesshomaru took one of the fish from the pile, not looking at his brother.  
"You do not need one – demons can eat raw meat-"  
"-Have you forgotten the last time I-?"  
"-As you well know, that sickness was because you ate the raw foods on the day of your human transformation. They are otherwise beneficial to you." Inuyasha snorted, still not taking up any of the food.

Soon smoke furled from the small fire before them. Upon realising Inuyasha would continue to sulk and ruin the otherwise perfect day he had given in swiftly (for once), though under the pretence that it was nearly dark, and they would soon be needing the fire anyway – well that is what he told Inuyasha in any case.

Night descended upon them, and the discarded fish bones lay to one side, their meal long since over, and the warm glow of the firelight dancing across silver hair as the brothers sat with no entertainment than each other's company, though oddly (and to the youngest in particular slightly disturbing), they found that was enough…

"Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha asked after a long, easy silence. The older brother inclined his head slightly to the side to look to the Half-demon, whose eyes had returned to gaze upon the stars gleaming overhead once more, rather than risk being caught staring like so many other times that night. "How much older than me are you?" He felt stupid for asking, he felt that it was something that he should already know – a mild shame the equivalent of not knowing a parent's birthday rising in him. There was so much about this demon that he didn't know, that he _knew_ he should. If he was going to have to spend the rest of eternity with him (at least that's the way it looked at the moment) then he supposed there were some things he really _had_ to know. _I bet __**Rin**__ even knows half the things about him I don't,_ the Half-demon thought, waiting for his brother to answer.

"In demon or human years?" the Demon questioned. Inuyasha frowned slightly at the question, then shrugged – the movement accompanying his answer.  
"Human years."  
"When you were born I was Five-Hundred-and-Thirteen human years of age," he answered simply. Inuyasha quirked his head slightly. That wasn't really very old at all. _No wonder he was such a sulky brat about me when I was younger – 513 is only just an adult! I bet he was a petulant, spoiled little prince as well, so that probably didn't help…_

"When's your birthday?" At this, Sesshomaru had to refrain from making any sound of amusement. The question sounded so trivial and childish.  
"Waxing half-moon of the first month of autumn."  
"Why did you hesitate to answer?" the younger brother asked, suspicious. Sesshomaru smirked, turning to his side and resting his weight on his arm as he faced Inuyasha, though the Half-demon still would not look at him for some strange reason.  
"Merely pondering why you would ask such questions."

Inuyasha snorted at that. "Because I didn't know the answer – idiot… I thought this whole 'period of courting' thing _meant_ we were supposed to get to know each other better." He could sense his older brother trying to get him to meet his eyes, but he couldn't, and what was worse, he didn't know why.  
"Not exactly," the Demon Lord replied impassively, "It is so you can adjust and get used to your surroundings and myself, before we finalise our union."  
"You said that before," Inuyasha growled slightly, sitting up, goose-bumps crawling over his skin as the chilly night air swept against his still bare chest and back, causing an involuntary shiver. At that movement, Sesshomaru sat up also, staring at the back of his brother with an irritating kind of confusion that he didn't understand.

The Half-demon was startled from his thoughtfulness when he felt something warm and soft slither round his middle, and stiffened a little when he realised it was his brother's fur drawing him backwards into the chest behind him. "Get off," Inuyasha grumbled, "I'm alright." He tried to pull away, though was unsuccessful.  
"Cease this petulant sulking; what is the matter with you so suddenly?"  
"_Nothing_," Inuyasha answered, slumping back against his brother, momentarily defeated. "I just realised that, like everyone else in my family, I really know nothing about you is all…" Clawed fingers traced loosely over his collarbone, stroking up along his throat to rest beneath his chin and turning his head lightly to the side so that, for the first time that evening, he was forced to meet those eyes.

"Why do you wish to know? Is it that important to you?" Sesshomaru asked, slightly surprised that something so trivial could bother him. Inuyasha sneered, teeth bared as he tried to yank his head back, though the clawed fingers splayed across his throat and chin did not permit it.  
"Aren't you always telling me what an ignorant half-demon I am?" he spat, though Sesshomaru remained unfazed.  
"Indeed. And for the majority of those occasions, I offer my apologies."

The voice caressed his face like the whispering wind, causing an awkward flush to ride over the bridge of his nose and dust his cheeks with colour as he blinked, wetting his lips nervously. "I regret that I know little of you either, though admittedly I know more than you seem to." He had yet to be released from Sesshomaru's grip, and his heart thudded madly in his chest in both embarrassment and excitement.

"Are you saying that there's nothing about me you want to know?" Inuyasha's question circled his mind for a moment, reminding him of the uncharacteristic confusion at his half-brother's strange sensitivity, and yet inner strength – his curious half-blood emotions and uniqueness.  
"Indeed," Sesshomaru replied smoothly, his face inches from Inuyasha's, "there are many things this Sesshomaru wishes to know." Clawed fingers grazed lightly over smooth skin and Inuyasha blinked at him. A compelling force seizing him like before – more times than he'd care to count, though he felt it nonetheless, and his eyes closed as he felt himself move forwards, against Sesshomaru's mouth.

When Inuyasha didn't press anymore than a chaste kiss on him Sesshomaru moved closer, forcing back the seeming innocence and pressing ardently into the kiss. The Half-demon gasped as long, clawed fingers sifted into his silver locks, tipping his head back to allow open-mouthed kisses to flutter over his chin. Fangs scraped gently over his throat and descended to flick a slightly pointed tongue into the iridescent mating mark, the action in turn causing Inuyasha's skin to prickle with heated shivers. "Aaah…"

Sesshomaru glanced at his brother's flushed face as that little noise shuddered into his ears. "Such a intoxicating little sound, Inuyasha," he responded, holding his brother's gaze as claws tugged at the tie holding up the remainder of Inuyasha's clothing, allowing it to come loose, "I hope you are not merely teasing me. I may have to provide you with a small dose of my poison if you push me away this time." He dived forwards suddenly, pausing not a hairsbreadth from his lips, a smirk twitching at his mouth when Inuyasha didn't try to turn away or otherwise avoid the inevitable embrace.

Seeming to realise Inuyasha's resolve had reached its limit as far as initiating intimacy was involved, he entangled his fingers in his hair once more, bringing their lips together as his free hand rubbed the Half-demon's mark in slow circles. A throaty groan vibrated into his mouth as his tongue stole against flat teeth briefly, before massaging flushed lips with his own. "I think you like me," Sesshomaru breathed as their mouths parted breathlessly, each gasping for air.  
"Then maybe you shouldn't think," Inuyasha responded, jumping slightly as he found himself straddling the Demon Lord's hips, and his arms draped over his shoulders as those claws raked gently into his hips, not breaking the skin but adjusting him slightly. And their gazes never left each other.

Those fingers he was beginning to both hate and desire all at once stole inside the sagging fire-rat material, brushing slowly over downy hair before descending and kneading hard, hot flesh. Inuyasha cried out, head tipping forwards and resting unconsciously on Sesshomaru's shoulder. "I think _this_ part likes me," Sesshomaru growled softly, referring to the semi-erection at his mercy, pumping the flesh slowly and relishing in the rough purring whimpers he received in response...

"I beat you this time," he managed in between gasps for air as Sesshomaru leant back onto the blanket, bringing Inuyasha with him. The Demon Lord staved off the moment when he would have to respond, bringing his fingers to his lips to lick the fluids from Inuyasha off of them.

"Do not believe you will make a habit of it. As a full-demon I generally have higher stamina than a half-demon," Sesshomaru murmured, almost defensively. Inuyasha rolled his eyes tiredly before allowing them to close, a wide yawn causing his mouth to stretch momentarily.  
"Insult to your pride, eh?"  
"Do not be ridiculous."

Upon regaining control over his legs after the numbness had subsided, the Half-demon rolled off Sesshomaru gracelessly, though finding himself bound to the Demon's side by the arm draped slightly round his waist, and the fur that seemed to have found its way around them, keeping their newly acquired heat within their bodies against the coldness of the night air.

Sighing heavily, Inuyasha realised his exhausted body was not only too shattered to bother fighting about not sleeping in this position, but also not particularly in the mood to put up with the mental battle for _why_ he should and shouldn't. This decision lead to his eyes falling shut once more, permitting himself Sesshomaru's warmth, as his heartbeat fell back into its usual pace, a silver ear flickering as it listened to the dull hum of the Demon's heartbeat that it was pressed against.

"You're gonna start being a bastard again soon aren't you?" Inuyasha asked bluntly. It would have been amusing, were it not for the quite serious tone he had used. Sesshomaru found his fingers toying idly with silver hair that was not his own whilst his thoughts collected, and he turned his head as best he could to look down into Inuyasha's face – even if the Half-demon's obstinate eyes were closed. "I do _know_ why you're being nice, you know. And as soon as you get what you want I'll be an _'irritating __**half**__-breed'_ again, won't I?" At this, he could no longer remain silent.

"I have tolerated a great deal of your faults since you have come here, Inuyasha," The older sibling began, quickly continuing when he sensed Inuyasha's temper flare. "A lot of which are your own doing, but some are not. This isn't something I have to do, and neither is this _'feigned niceness'_ you seem to keep accusing me of. Being a person who has lived in the world surely you have seen and known dominant partners who have treated their submissive _far_ worse?"

Inuyasha said nothing, but the look in the golden orbs (that had since opened) that seemed to cause them to glow in the dimness, alight with the stars above them, told him that he was indeed correct. Compared to some things a submissive was subjected to, he had it pretty good...

"I do not expect nor desire 'gratefulness'. But if I can stomach your shortcomings and admire your virtues then surely you can do the same with me in return."

Inuyasha snorted, looking away to the dark blanket of stars above, searching for a distraction from Sesshomaru's face. "Keh, let me know when you get any _'virtues'_…" At this, the Demon Lord merely smirked, beginning to understand when the Half-demon truly meant offence or not.  
"And the things I can and _have_ given you are not my greatest virtue?"

Through the dimness he could barely decipher the blush that met his brother's face at his words. "Or am I to take it from your flush that I have another asset which you consider more valuable?" Sesshomaru taunted. Inuyasha ignored him, turning from the slightly forced embrace so that his back pressed against Sesshomaru's side, but the fur still blanketed him and his brother still held him determinedly. The smirk faded from the older brother's lips as he too turned to rest on his side, spooning against the Inuyasha's back and pulling him back into his chest firmly. "If you can abide everything you find displeasing regarding our union, I vow to continue to treat you with the same _'niceness'_ and decency as I do now."

Inuyasha remained silent for a moment before scoffing at the notion. "Keh, I don't need to be pampered like a little prince-"  
"-Nevertheless, that is the offer I make to you, Little brother."

A stagnant silence fell between them, in which Sesshomaru was sure he heard his brother's breathing fall away to that of slumbering breaths, though it was not long after he made that assumption that Inuyasha spoke, his eyes open and awake. "Sesshomaru?"  
"Yes?" the Demon answered quietly. There was a short pause, as if the Half-demon didn't know exactly how to phrase his sentence properly, and Sesshomaru swore he _heard_ him gnaw his lip impatiently.  
"I guess I should say thanks for bringing me here today."

Sesshomaru sighed heavily, he supposed he would have to get used to his brother hiding his embarrassment with gruff, mild sarcasm. _Though it is ever-so-slightly amusing in any case,_ he thought, pondering the day's events, and how comparably well they had gone.

He had anticipated a lot more objection and difficulty on Inuyasha's part, and yet the friction had been almost non-existent – the Half-demon had even surprised him (yet again) by luring _him_ into intercourse. Though, he had also come to realise just how different Inuyasha was to the stereotype he had cast of him when he had first seen him as a child. And he had noted just how many times his brother seemed to surprise him over such short lengths of time, when few people surprised him in his whole lifetime.

He was rarely wrong. But how wrong had he been with so many matters concerning Inuyasha? Far more than he cared to count that was for sure. He was definitely unpredictable. But was that necessarily bad? Regarding today in particular – Inuyasha was so unlike those snobbish demons or demonesses he'd been 'paired with' before, how many of them would have preferred things wild and untamed when it came to their lives? And whilst, like him, the Half-demon _did_ like the exquisite foods and comforts of the castle, he followed Sesshomaru's (and indeed their father's) preference to the more natural world than the artificial palace-life.

Inclining his head a little he gazed down at the half-demon against him as the boy turned to face him and nestled into the warmth of his chest, eyes closed in sleep, his lips slightly parted with the light unconscious breathing. Wasn't this exactly what he had wanted? Inuyasha wasn't some preening bitch _that_ was for sure. He didn't care for money or possessions, and his attitude and behaviour (while irritating sometimes) may be the very things he required for colouring (what he had only recently been mentally considering) a life that had become very dull and eventless. _Life with Inuyasha could never be boring_ that _is for sure,_ he thought, now finding himself staring thoughtfully to the skies above, as if they held all the answers.

TBC

A/N: **There is supposed to be a sex scene in this chapter, if you want to read the full version, please go to my profile and follow the link. **This one was 27 MS Word pages - Yay! Lol. Did ya like? Well I didn't totally pull Inuyasha's birthday out of my ass. I've read fanfics (mostly IYxKag ones) where they sorta make it up, but in Movie 3, you see the night Inuyasha was born and it was snowing, so hence I'm saying he was born in winter - the actual day however I think I made up, but I am quite sure that in that scene you see the moon in full so maybe I actually did guess correctly lol. As for Sesshomaru I did make that up, Rumiko Takahashi never specified how old he was but alot of people guess he is around 700 at least in the anime, so if Inuyasha is around 200 (which he is if you calculate how long Sou'unga was sealed for etc and all other time-related stuff in the anime) he must be at least 500 years older than Inu, ne? Okay, so that's that for the birthday rubbish XD

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	14. Inside of Me

**Chapter Fourteen  
Inside Of Me**

The sun's early, feeble rays offered a strangely warm glow to the figure that lay far beneath it. Vulnerable and barely stirring at the growing light, the Half-demon merely uttered an odd growling sound before turning sulkily to the side and back to sleep, a frown creasing his brow due to the sun beginning to glare in his eyes. So it was strange that when Inuyasha finally let the peaceful slumber slip through his grasp, the sun was dimmed slightly on his closed eyelids – definitely still there but…not as harsh on his closed lids as it should have been. Allowing his eyes to fully open at last, he realised why the sun wasn't exacting its full vengeance upon him – there was something lying over his head. _A blanket?_ He wondered. _No_, his mind reasoned, _it's too soft…_

Sitting up slowly, the fabric slid off him smoothly, and staring down at what was lying in his lap and circling him caused a partial frown – partial bewilderment to meet his features. Hugging his body closely and flickering an occasionally stroke across his back was his brother's damn fur, and the fine material in his lap that had been shielding his sleeping face from the morning's sun…was Sesshomaru's hitoe.

Clutching the clothing in his hands he raised his gaze to the movement that teased the corners of his eyes. He tore his golden orbs away immediately however, upon seeing the naked torso of Sesshomaru standing above the water-level, evidently unaware he was awake, as he did not turn or otherwise show any acknowledgment of him – he continued the leisurely washing he'd been so engrossed in previously. _Prissy dickhead,_ the Half-demon thought, moving to get up, though freezing instantly upon realising he was still naked from the 'events' of the previous night.

"I took the liberty of moving your garments over there, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said suddenly, making Inuyasha jump a little. His gaze wavered over the dazed Half-demon's frame, even as he gestured just a little way from him, where there was a neat, red pile of clothing. "That way you will not have to make the journey back to the castle with creased clothing."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, holding the blanket he'd been lying on around his middle until he reached his clothes, preserving some modesty at least. He was still a little flushed at the thought of his brother feeling the need to cover his eyes from the sun so he'd be permitted a few extra hours sleep. Being looked after was nice but...it took a few chunks out of his pride.

Clothing his lower half as quickly as possible, Inuyasha grimaced as he felt his stomach muscles clench tightly, and he doubled over slightly at the abdominal cramps. The pain portrayed to the Demon Lord through their mark caused him to turn swiftly to where his mate sat, slightly hunched over, hair casting a white curtain about his face, though still failing to shield the grimace from his vision.

"Inuyasha?" he asked, stepping out of the water and moving to stoop beside him. "Are you alright?" What is the matter?"

Inuyasha shook his head several times, making no coherent noises at all.

"Should I take you back to the castle?" His voice bore slight apprehension – anxiety, but what came through all-too clear to Inuyasha unnerved him the most – sincere worry, tinged with panic. "Takara could have a look at you," Sesshomaru pressed. Inuyasha nodded slowly, though gathered himself to his feet, his slight awkwardness betrayed through their bond.

"Y-Yeah. But…" Inuyasha paused, casting a glance downwards slightly, unintentionally directing Sesshomaru's attention towards the Half-demon's 'morningly' bodily function (or as Inuyasha recalled that perverted monk Miroku calling it – his 'Morning glory'). "I gotta go first." Sesshomaru frowned slightly as he watched his brother depart from his company, amble out of his line of sight and behind the corner slightly.

Relieving his bladder of it's built up tension, Inuyasha felt his body seize up once more nevertheless, that weighted feeling drawing him down to his knees on the ground, where clawed fingers knotted into the grassy banks beneath him in release of his pain. _Gods,_ he thought, eyes clenching shut, _I've had worse than a lousy stomach-ache before – I've had my stomach __**ripped out**__ before! Why am I so bothered by – __**whatever**__ this is?_

"Could you muster the strength to hold onto me?" The voice behind him so suddenly made him jump to his feet, only to be met by Sesshomaru once more, who was offering him the rest of his kimono he'd not finishing dressing in (the Demon Lord himself now fully dressed).  
"I – why do you keep – huh?" Watching his brother struggle into the rest of his clothes, Sesshomaru paused for a moment, before answering.  
"For the sake of what may be necessary haste, I would transform and permit you to ride on my back – or would that be too-great an insult to your pride?" the Demon asked calmly. Inuyasha glared at him.  
"Screw you! I ain't being _carried_ like some weakling! I can _walk_ you know!" he spat indignantly. Sesshomaru refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Indeed," The Demon Lord sighed at last, after what seemed like _hours_ of debating with the stubborn Half-demon on the quickest means back to the castle – when in reality, it had been not a few short moments. "Then this will do-" And with that Sesshomaru turned, continuing round the bend of the river and out of sight. For a moment, Inuyasha was left alone and in pain, a strange, disembodying sort of vulnerability overcoming him to such an extent that a prickle of paranoia shot up his spine, and he stared about him carefully. Beginning to wonder if Sesshomaru had meant him to follow after him, Inuyasha was saved from his confused by the sight of his brother rounding the bend once more, though not alone this time…

"You will not permit your own mate you carry you, although I have witnessed that Demon slayer's feline-pet carrying you on many an occasion, so I assume you would not protest to Ah-Un carrying you alongside me?" When Inuyasha didn't answer he continued. "It will mean a much swifter journey, and since your adolescent body seems temperamental it would perhaps be best to get you to Takara as quickly as possible."

Inuyasha shrugged, though eventually (if only to escape from his brother's scrutinising gaze) he moved over to the two-headed reptilian creature. Clawed hands brushed over the heads' muzzles carefully, as if judging how trustworthy it was, before steadying those hands on its back, and climbing on. He had never wanted to go back to bed as much as he did right then – and 'his' bed in particular seemed to be calling him, as did the promise of any remedy Takara might concoct to rid him of this agony.

The journey however (as predicted) did not help the pain nor growing nausea. The world sped past his eyes, Ah-Un unintentionally jolted with each step. Inuyasha closed his eyes against the rapidly passing world – running at the speeds he was capable of motion sickness wasn't something that affected him, not _usually_ anyway, right now he felt his fingers clench tightly at their place around Ah-Un's neck, swallowing back the bile that was beginning to creep up his throat.

After the forest had fallen back into the distance behind them, the castle continued to grow closer and closer. As Sesshomaru descended, so too did his reptilian companion (still carrying Inuyasha, whose pains seemed to have worsened swiftly) and if Inuyasha had opened his eyes, he would have seen Takara, Nannami and Rin waiting on the steps of the courtyard below.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Inuyasha!" Rin all-but squealed as Sesshomaru touched the ground, assisting a stubbornly unwilling Inuyasha from his place on Ah-Un. The human girl twirled around them happily, though paused as the Demon :ord bid her to be quiet, before turning to Takara.  
"How was your 'trip', Sire? Did Lord Inuyasha take kindly to the venue?" Takara asked, brow furrowing at the sight of Inuyasha. Sesshomaru nodded slightly, his gaze flickering to Inuyasha before turning his attention to his servant once more.

"Indeed, all went well. However…" he gestured slightly to his half-brother, who was pushing away from the support he was offering, standing unsteadily on his own feet. "This morning he awoke with stomach pains – perhaps his half-demon stomach is unable to handle raw foods after all, he is experiencing the same sickness as before. Could there be a remedy brewed for him?"  
"How did you know I felt sick?" Inuyasha interjected suddenly, wincing as he tried not to show his suffering. "I didn't tell-"  
"-I could feel your suffering through the mark, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru interjected briefly, before looking to Takara for his answer. The Demon smiled warmly at his lord.

"A remedy? Certainly, My Lord. If Lord Inuyasha would care to follow me I will give him something immediately." But just as the azure-eyed demon turned, Inuyasha manoeuvring to follow, Takara stopped, meeting his questioning stares once more. "I assume you have had something to eat, My Lord?" he asked Inuyasha, "You are aware that you cannot have anything on an empty stomach." The Half-demon groaned inwardly at the thought of food – _never_ did he think he'd dislike the thought of food so much, but right now, the nausea he'd so far managed to suppress was rising rapidly, causing him to choke slightly as he tried to hold it back.

His insides churned menacingly, tightening into knots until he shoved Takara back roughly turning to the side, his throat retching as he vomited up everything that had (until then) remained in his stomach since the night before. Body still shaking slightly Inuyasha coughed hard, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his kimono before straightening up slightly.

"Are you alright, Inuyasha?" The Half-demon scoffed at his brother's question.  
"Will you just _stop_ asking me if I'm okay? Do I _look_ okay? Just _stop_ pretending you care about me!"

Although his emotionless façade never dropped, a strange, unnameable emotion came clearly from Sesshomaru to his brother, an emotion the Half-demon wasn't at sure he liked invading his already troubled mind.

"We have discussed this," Sesshomaru replied impassively, "Now cease these inane insecure thoughts and go with Takara," The Demon Lord ordered, gesturing for Rin and Nannami to head back inside, beginning to follow them himself, and only pausing to finish his sentence. "I will join you shortly. When you have calmed down somewhat and ridded yourself of this petulant attitude. I have indulged you and even attempted to offer you all the luxuries you have been denied before now. Your fire and obstinacy is attractive but many would not blame me for preferring you to be more docile at times, like last night, for example…" With that he continued his path up the castle steps and through the great doors, leaving Inuyasha and Takara quite alone.

A flush at his older brother's words still refused to leave his complexion be, and it remained even as he followed the Healer into the castle. Attempting in vain to hide his discomfort, Inuyasha made his way with his brother's most trusted servant through the seemingly endless halls and stairs, up to Takara's study. The door closed on the cold halls as they stepped into the warmth of the room. The soft furnishings and the desk and other more 'medical' implements that he recalled from before greeted the Half-demon's eyes as Takara ushered him into the chair before the desk, before busying himself with preparing some form of pain relief for him.

"How can you serve such a damn bastard…?" The question shuddering past Inuyasha's lips, far from enraging Takara, caused a little smile to play across his kind mouth.  
"No one would dare challenge the fact that there is no one that knows Lord Sesshomaru better than I," Takara answered and Inuyasha snorted, fingers tightening across his stomach as a feeble throb of pain assaulted his insides.

"_'Docile',_ that's what he said I was last night…" he flushed a little at the memory, but none of the fire of his bitterness subsided. He had faltered – had permitted his brother to dominate and take him unquestioningly and in doing so had forsaken his pride as a man, all for the sake of that comfort he desired so much. And his brother had gloated over it, perhaps unintentionally but nevertheless…it only served to make him regret his brief subservience, when for once, his conscience had left him well alone about it…

"It may not look like it, My Lord," Takara began, sitting on the desk before Inuyasha, a small bowl in his hands. "But Lord Sesshomaru has feelings and worries as everyone else, however, mostly due to his upbringing, and station – even his fears, he is unable to express them the same way you or I might." Inuyasha frowned slightly, taking the bowl offered to him, though not drinking the contents, lost to his thoughtfulness for that brief moment.

"So," he began, curious now, having found someone who had insight into his brother's labyrinth of a mind. "When he starts being a prick it's because I've hurt his feelings, or…or because he doesn't understand me for whatever reason?"

Takara nodded, his smile broadening. "Indeed. You see, you understand him more than you have anticipated," he gestured for the Half-demon to drink the substance in the bowl before continuing, "You will understand how he portrays his feelings soon enough."

Inuyasha swallowed the herbal fluids that promised pain-relief, gulping it down as soon as possible, so that he may continue his questioning, paying no attention to the foul taste.  
"But…you taught Sesshomaru? You helped to raise him? So, you understand his feelings without him even telling you them?" At each of the questions Takara nodded in answer, a look crossing his features that told Inuyasha that he knew where this was leading. The Half-demon wet his lips apprehensively. "So…so you can tell me how he feels…what he really thinks of me?"

A long silence fell over the room, blanketing the two of them until Inuyasha felt it was almost _stifling_ him, and it was at this point, that Takara ventured to answer. "I cannot divulge things that are not mine to tell, and I cannot be sure of his feelings and emotions with regard to you, when Lord Sesshomaru does not seem to fully recognise them for what they are _himself_."

Inuyasha withheld an almost disappointed sigh, though just barely; relaxing back into the chair he had found his way to the edge of, none-the-wiser. "But you have a better idea than he does, don't you?" Inuyasha asked, suspicious yet again. A knowing smile greeted him, and it told him he was correct, though Takara did not voice the affirmative.

"All I will say is, Lord Sesshomaru has never sought out anyone as a mate before. Though there have _always_ been _many_ who have wanted him. He has never pursued anyone, never struggled to seduce or coerce someone into liking him the way he has with you. He has never cared, nor bothered about what another person thinks of him, or shown any regard to another's feelings since your father passed on. So, My Lord, I think you can safely assume, that all things regarding your brother's feelings in this matter, are unpredictable, at least until Lord Sesshomaru himself understands them." The blue-eyed demon allowed a short quiet to befall them, before sighing slightly, and speaking once more. "That remedy I gave you was a softer brew, it will not hurt your empty stomach – however, I would advise you to drink plenty of fluids after vomiting."

Inuyasha nodded, getting to his feet slowly, glad that even now, the pain was ebbing away from his tensed body. "I guess I can't have demon food after all then," Inuyasha said, nearing the door, but paused to look at Takara when he did not answer. "It's weird though, it tastes fine when I eat it, and it's only the morning after that I-"  
"-Yes, My Lord, and though that is often the case in food poisoning, I have come across a fair few half-demons in my time, and I have no reason to believe raw meats would _not_ be beneficial to you. I am quite certain there is nothing wrong with you." Inuyasha nodded, moving to open the door, but stopping as Takara spoke once more. "You are merely pregnant, that is all."

Inuyasha froze at those words, everything inside his head screamed, even as the room remained silent, a quaver of anger, fear and despair seized his insides so that they turned themselves into knots. His hand trembled on the door as it fell closed, and it was with this unsteady body that he forced himself to turn to face Takara. Wide, disbelieving golden orbs watched him, the smile faded from the servant's lips, a warm, comforting understanding on his face as he regarded the Half-demon, knowing how hard it was for him to hear this, and knowing too, that his distress was passing to Sesshomaru, who would (as a result) be looking for Inuyasha shortly.

"H-How…" Inuyasha swallowed nervously, trying to find his voice, though when he did find it, it was quite unlike his own, broken, and unsure, "How do you know? How can you be sure?"

Takara smiled almost sadly, gesturing for the small bowl Inuyasha had handed back to him, empty of its contents. "I thought it would be best not to alarm you unless I was sure. But the scent of the pregnancy takes a day or so to be detected, and even then, the scent of Lord Sesshomaru and sex always hung about you so thickly a majority of the time afterwards it was hard to tell, but you always seemed weighed down…out of sorts. And your senses have undoubtedly been playing up?"

Inuyasha nodded, though retreated into the wall as Takara spoke.

"Indeed, it was as I suspected. So I gave you this, which stimulates the scent of the pregnancy after at least a day of the possible conception, so that, if you _were_ expecting, I could smell it. And, it is undeniable, Lord Inuyasha, all the signs, even what I now recognise as the first signs of morning sickness point towards it. And the now detectable change in you proves me correct beyond all reasonable doubt. You may ask any demon you pass if you do not believe me. You are with child, My Lord."

The horrifying truth in those eyes, the truth he already knew _was_ just that – _true_, it caused inner agony to course through his veins, and he crumbled to the ground, sliding down the wall until his backside met the floor. Detached from the world, he sank into the waves of despair that overcame him, so much so that he did not react, nor even care as the door opened, and Sesshomaru stepped inside. Staring between Takara and himself on the floor beside where he stood, the Demon Lord was evidently confused as to what had happened, until that is, he drew breath, and sensed the change in the one beside him.

"So, it has happened then," it was more of a statement than a question, though Inuyasha still did not react, "You are…_expecting_?"

Inuyasha flinched, turning away from him at that, staring fixedly at the wall. He didn't want to look at him, didn't want to acknowledge the world still existed. He didn't want to exist anymore. He wasn't a man anymore, he wasn't _'Inuyasha'_ anymore, he wasn't the person everyone he'd ever loved and lost used to know. He felt dirty, soiled and mutated, like if he should step beyond the room everyone would know just _what_ he had done, what he had become.

What had he done? What had he let his brother do to him? Why had he given in so easily? He had laid back and_ let_ it happen – no worse, _encouraged_ it, and worse still_ enjoyed_ it, and now he sat there, lost to the consequences of giving into his childish desires for comfort and love he would never really receive. Now he fell prey to that emotion that caused him to wish he could cut himself off – to fall blind, deaf and dumb to the world so he would be able to be in that blissful state of unaware in the dark, and not have to suffer this pain he'd been so acquainted with since the day his mother died and he'd been thrust into the cruel, harsh world.

_What would Kagome say if she saw you now?_ His mortal conscience prodded, _what would she think? Your human friends, your mortal mother? You're disgusting…_ He flinched at those thoughts, yet believed them thoroughly, and the pain he received as a result of the unwavering belief caused him to leap to his feet, facing the two men in the room with bitter tears pricking at the backs of his eyes.

"Stop it," he growled out weakly, "Stop it. Stop _looking_ at me like that!" His mutters carried into shouts. He looked from one of the demons to the other, as if begging to be screamed at or silenced, but he received neither. When they had been staring at him like this for a while, like he was a bomb that may explode at any moment, he snapped. He moved towards the desk so quickly that Takara jumped aside – just in time, as Inuyasha's arm swung across the table, sweeping fragile objects and stacks of papers onto the floor in a flying state. "There you go! You gonna _hit_ me now Sesshomaru? Are you happy now? Now you have what you want despite it making me _miserable_!"

Sesshomaru remained silent, watching him with that unbearably impassive stare that sent fresh waves of fury crashing down on the Half-demon.  
"Don't just stare at me SAY SOMETHING!" As the raspy screams still echoed off the elegantly dressed stone walls, Inuyasha remained panting in attempts to regain his breath, and Sesshomaru's lips parted in speech.  
"And what pray tell, would you like me to say, Little Brother?"

Inuyasha winced as if struck. "Don't call me that…it only reminds me what _sick_ things I let you do to me…and what I'm stuck with now…"

Gaze flickering to Takara for a moment, Sesshomaru advanced upon his brother slowly, pausing a scarce few inches from him.  
"If this was something you did not want then why did you look so hurt when I suggested that you were sterile?" he asked dangerously. Inuyasha snarled in response, shoving the Demon Lord back from him roughly, though only succeeding in drawing a fierce grow from his mate, who seized his wrist, before pressing himself upon him.

"You threw yourself at me like a whore in a drunken stupor, do you forget so easily?" the Demon spat. When Inuyasha turned his face away from the hot breath beating down on his face Sesshomaru realised his bad choice in words, and grated his teeth together testily, searching for a way to repair the damage he'd done.

Leaning down slightly Sesshomaru seized his brother's chin, ignoring Takara's presence as he tilted the Half-demon's face to the side and pressed his lips carefully over the mating mark at his neck, so that when he next spoke, his mouth caressed it gently. "Do not make me angry and say things I may regret, Inuyasha. And I would ask you not to say or do something _you_ may later regret," as the last words left his lips his clawed fingers caressed Inuyasha's flat stomach slowly, and the Half-demon's body trembled with the effort of trying to break free of his brother.

"Stop it! Don't – DON'T TOUCH ME!" Twisting his head to the side slightly Inuyasha scraped his fangs across his brother's cheek nastily. The Demon Lord releasing him swiftly in response, blood weeping from the shallow wound that had already begun to heal as Inuyasha bolted for the door. He felt Sesshomaru pursue him but when Takara's voiced the commanding request _"leave him be, My Lord,"_ he felt his brother stop, and he continued through the door, disappearing from their sight.

All pleasantness in the air around the Demon Lord that had lingered from yesterday had been thoroughly stripped away. And now he stood there, facing the door, unmoving as he awaited Takara's explanation for his request for him to stay while Inuyasha fled.

"Forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru," Takara said softly, "however, Lord Inuyasha is thoroughly confused and hurt, and…desperate currently, as you no doubt can feel."

Sesshomaru nodded slightly, though did not turn to face his servant.

"How do those emotions feel in your head?"  
"Disorientating," Sesshomaru answered impassively, "overwhelming."  
"Indeed, and my advice if you would desire it, My Lord, is to leave him be for a while, and allow him to gather his thoughts before you burden him with yours."

The Demon Lord nodded once more, understanding the words his advisor offered though not able to move past, or push aside the irritatingly strong anxiety regarding what Inuyasha may do to himself in light of this knowledge. Or what he may even do to the newly conceived pup at his mercy.

_"…it don't matter if I'm_ pregnant _or not, 'cause if I am, I'll rip the damn thing outta me if that's what it takes. I'll never be used like that by_ anybody."

His little brother's words rang all too clear in his mind at that moment, and his own uncharacteristic concern for the truth in that threat was too great for his liking.

_"I'm stuck with my fucking brother's kid_ inside _me…I couldn't stand it…my own brother's kid,_ squirming _in me, feeding off me, like some parasite… I'd rather rip it out of me with my own_ claws _than have Sesshomaru's kid…"_

Just recalling those words hurt him more than he could stand, and another surge of inner agony from his mate caused his skin to prickle with anger at his helplessness. He hated it. He was Lord Sesshomaru; he wouldn't stand for being this _useless_. His brother could be pondering the quickest way to tear their pup from his body at this very moment and all he was doing was standing under Takara's watchful gaze like a scolded infant. He had to do something, or else he'd go mad from the silence.

"These emotions…_his_ emotions, in my head they are-" he paused, grinding his teeth against the anger at his atypical confusion, "-_Deafening_."  
"If you are set on chasing after him, My Lord, I would advise that if you feel your emotions overwhelming your ability to not upset Lord Inuyasha further, do not speak at all." Finding the sentence _more_ than just a little patronising, Sesshomaru turned briefly to face Takara, fixing him with what was surely meant to be a glare that threatened death, but in the current state of things (and with Inuyasha's myriad of emotions throbbing in his ears), all that he could manage was a meagre imposing grimace, before he left the room in search of his brother.

All ideals of taking advantage of his momentary solitude in his search for Inuyasha were quashed when cries of _"Lord Sesshomaru"_ reached his ears. He paused to look down at the human girl suddenly beside him. "Lord Sesshomaru?"  
"Yes Rin?" he asked, rather impatiently. That trademark smile graced her lips, and were it not for Inuyasha's pain being so very clear in his mind, he was sure that smile would have soothed him slightly.  
"Nannami-sensei told me to inform you that Miss Ayane is here with Lord Inuyasha's clothing – and my kimono."

The Demon lord nodded slightly. "Have Nannami prepare the girl something to drink while she waits in the lower drawing room. And you may take your kimono from her also, if you wish to." She beamed up and him in reponse, but he could not force a smile in return. ""I must go find Inuyasha. You are dismissed." With that the child left his side, skipping out of sight, still smiling. Sesshomaru fought to repress a sigh. Between that girl, Inuyasha and this new pup he just might go insane…

Inuyasha didn't know where to go. He didn't know where to go to be alone – away from Sesshomaru, away from everything else. _Why did this have to happen? Just when things seemed to be going okay…_

His body had paused almost without any permission from his brain in a long hall on one of the upper floors. Resting his arms on the smooth panes of the arched, glassless windows, he leaned out slightly to gaze at the gardens below, the breeze rustling his hair. This particular courtyard looked…_forsaken_, wild, and neglected unlike the others the castle sported. _A little bit like me then,_ the Half-demon thought.

Fists clenched at the unfairness of it all. No one had asked before they dumped this on him and ruined his life (if it were _possible_ to ruin it anymore). Blood seeped from the vicious wounds in his palms, and he hissed in pain, though he pressed harder all the same. Letting out the anger and feeling physical pain took the edge off the inner agony – which was infinitely worse.

It wasn't as if he _hated_ children in general – Shippo had been important to him, and he'd always felt an odd sort of compassion to the children in the villages he and his friends had passed in his travels, most of them having lost their parents to demon attacks or other horrors the world had to offer. But (being a half-demon) he had never contemplated having pups of his own – _ever_.

No one would want to mate with a half-demon, and he hadn't known about this apparently predestined fact that _he_ was meant to be the carrier of the pups. That and the fact that he'd never had a real home to _offer_ a vulnerable infant, meant he'd always assumed they were something he'd never get to have, and so trained himself to not want them. He'd dwell on all the reasons _not_ to have them until the instinctual desire faded, and it had worked. And yet here it was, thrust on him and laid on top of all the rest of the burdens he had yet to adjust to. And he couldn't handle it. This was something permanent, something he had a responsibility to. His pup…_his_…

The warm mid-morning sunlight greeted him as he made his way out into the forgotten garden he'd been surveying a few moments ago. His hands escaped from the safety of his kimono sleeves, following his line of thought and almost unconsciously stroked over the smooth planes of his stomach with slender fingers. _Hard to believe there's anything alive in there,_ he thought. But it was alive, and growing and feeding off of him. His every breath was shared with this defenceless little life, and it was so vulnerable, so easy to destroy. He winced, claws raking gently over his belly through the kimono, not breaking skin, though considering the motion.

Could he really do it? He swallowed hard. Could he kill this unborn life that was totally dependant on him? His pup…? His head swam with confusion. He didn't know what to do. It would be so simple to take the weight off his shoulders, but did he want things to be that simple? After all, this pup did come from his brother, but it was his as well, wasn't it? He considered what such a mix would mean. He had watched Kagome study a lot of times, and one of those few times he had read over her shoulder – something about incestuous relationships with people from the past…_Egyptians_, he thought she'd said when he had asked her what the word was. And if his pup was going to turn out like that, would it not be kinder to kill it? He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure of anything anymore.

The sun had long since fully risen by the time that Sesshomaru had made his way out into one of the many gardens of the castle, though this being one he had begotten in favour of the others, since this was enclosed in the very centre of the building, and rarely visited by anyone. Regardless, still following the scent and turmoil of his mate, he found himself pondering relentlessly what he could say, or do to make Inuyasha realise things were not quite as bad as he seemed to think they were.

But then again, why should he care about his feelings and peace of mind so much now that he had what he wanted? It was more than simply to cease the raging unstable emotions from passing through to him of that he was sure. Perhaps to just make things run easier in this new strange family he had brought Inuyasha into? He wasn't sure of that either, which only served to frustrate him even more.

Then he realised, as he descended the stairs in the trail of the Half-demon's scent, that the stormy skies of Inuyasha's emotions had…_calmed_ somewhat, and that was certainly not good news. Had he actually been able to do it? He did not share his physical pain so he could not be sure, but what could cease the mental agony over the pup he hated so much but to kill it? Bile crept up his throat at the thought of his mate tearing _their_ pup out of himself.

Mercy was not something Lord Sesshomaru was known for, but when all was said and done, he had never and _would_ never kill a child (or at least he hoped he would not). And he had (if nothing else) been sure that Inuyasha was better than that, but again, he found himself realising just how many times he'd been wrong with regards to his brother. That realisation quickened his step, and as he stepped further into the sun-drenched grounds he began pursuing the invisible tracks once more.

It was not at all surprising that he found himself at the base of one of the oldest trees in the courtyard, and staring up into the branches, a small smirk flittered across his lips upon spying the petulant Half-demon nestled within the greenery, arms folded in the baggy kimono sleeves as he stared pensivelyout at the flawless sky. He wondered whether Inuyasha realised the significance of that tree, or whether it had been a random selection, when he chose to perch his sulky backside up the tree that was planted the year he (Sesshomaru) was born.

Abandoning his previous thoughts, he dwelled on Takara's advice. However before he could consider what to say or how to phrase it, before his mouth had even the opportunity to open, Inuyasha spoke. "I thought my body felt heavier than usual," he muttered almost inaudibly, without tearing his eyes from the cerulean heavens. He was sounding so unlike himself it was almost unnerving – _almost_. "But I thought it was the mark. Obviously I was wrong – _again_…"

"Inuyasha," the Demon began finding himself strangely apprehensive of what was to come, "I am sorry that it has happened this way-"  
"-No you're not," Inuyasha interrupted, though his voice carrying no malice or particular irritation, just mild exhaustion. "But I suppose I can't ask for you to be upset when you've got exactly what you want."

Sesshomaru stared up at him thoughtfully, willing him to meet his eyes, though he would not. "Inuyasha-"  
"Shut up already and let someone besides you speak for a change," The Half-demon cut across him, leaning over to grip the lower branches, and holding them as he dropped the relatively small distance to the ground, landing on his feet. He raised his head slightly to meet his brother's eyes briefly, before tearing his gaze away, evidently finding something terribly interesting to stare at over the Demon Lord's shoulder.

"You were afraid," Inuyasha said suddenly, and Sesshomaru frowned at his brother's words. "I sensed it. You were scared, or at least anxious about something," the younger sibling pressed. The Demon continued to stare at him emotionlessly, secretly irritated he'd been found out, but then again if he could read Inuyasha's emotions, it was only fair Inuyasha could do the same for him.

"I was concerned what you might do in the state of mind you were-"  
"-I can deal with it." It was not the first time Inuyasha's lack of elaboration had left him slightly confused, and he had a feeling it would not be the last. "I…It's difficult, but I… I wouldn't _kill it_ if that's what you were so afraid of. This thing may be part of you but it's mine too, and I've seen enough people die because of me – my own kid isn't gonna be one of them."

A small throb of fresh emotion peeked through the din of Inuyasha's feelings, and Sesshomaru could not help but frown slightly. "Nevertheless, you are concerned? What about?" Sesshomaru asked carefully.

The Half-demon wet his dry lips, evidently unsure of how to answer. "If we're brothers," he began carefully, "won't this pup come out…_wrong_?"  
Sesshomaru smirked, amused at his choice of words.  
"_'Wrong'_ you say? You mean _deformed_ perhaps in appearance or in mind?"

Inuyasha gnawed his lip, not really wanting to know the answer – ignorance was bliss. But Sesshomaru seemed to be barely restraining a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Inuyasha spat, "I know it's happened! Kagome told me that in the past-"  
"-You speak of that _human_ and our pup in the same breath?" The seething anger in the Demon Lord's voice caused Inuyasha to flinch slightly, though Sesshomaru quickly realised his mistake, and moved to amend it. "What was it she told you?" he asked stiffly.

"Nothing much she…she had to study things – like history, and…other stuff I can't remember. But there were some people who thought that having children with your relatives meant it kept the family pure – and strong but it really turned them all-"  
"-You have already stated the flaw in that though, Little Brother," the Demon Lord whispered, leaning against his brother a little more. "_'Children'_ – Humans are indeed affected negatively by incest, which is why their society holds it abhorrent. However, it is yet another difference between us and them – they (I must admit) take that belief from us, since it does _indeed_ make pure-blooded and stronger offspring. So if that was all you were concerned about, I hope I have lifted that weight from your mind."

His younger sibling met his eyes at that moment, and it is was so very clear from this alone (without their emotional bond) that there was much more than just that one needless worry.  
"You say _'us'_ as if I was a demon as well," he spoke with a slight smirk twitching at his lips, though it seemed empty and half-hearted, "Have you forgotten that I'm only _half_ demon?" There was one of those dreaded small silences, though upon opening his mouth to speak, Sesshomaru was once again cut off by his brother's odd epiphany.

"You always act so calm, and collected but…I can feel it all. Everything you feel, and I'll admit, most of the time it don't match the mask you wear. You only act like a bastard when I do something that pisses you off, or _whatever_, right?"  
"Indeed. And if Takara were not so valuable I would have him whipped for divulging his traitorous understanding of me," Sesshomaru answered impassively. Inuyasha could not help but smirk at his brother's words, finding the strength to meet his gaze once more, without feeling the need to tear his eyes away.

"Even though you can feel what I feel," Inuyasha began, "you still can't know what it feels like to be a man, and a half-demon, and abandoned at every turn," Inuyasha grit his teeth at his mind berating him for showing such weakness, but nevertheless he continued, it had to be said. "I…I feel changed, violated even. I don't feel like a man anymore and that's…" He trailed off, allowing Sesshomaru a small interval in which to seize his opportunity at speech. And setting a hand on his brother's shoulder he did just that.

"No, you are, admittedly so much closer to perfection than any man," he breathed, nearly choking on the kindness as it left his lips, the hand on his brother's shoulder dropping to press against the small of his back, drawing the Half-demon against him a little more.

"Maybe you cannot see it yet, but I imagine that one day you will come to realise just how uniquely perfect you are."

Inuyasha flushed a little, pulling back from the embrace slightly. "Keh, whatever. You don't have to 'comfort' me ya know. I told you I'm not gonna kill the thing so stop fussing."

Sesshomaru smirked at the emotions betraying Inuyasha's small enjoyment at being the object of positive attention. "So am I to assume that you are now pleased with our pup?"

Inuyasha scowled (though half-heartedly). "I said I wouldn't kill it, it doesn't mean I _like_ it. I'm fine with it, but if the little shit calls me 'Mama' I'll rip your dick off!"  
"Eloquently put, Little Brother," Sesshomaru replied, Inuyasha's flush only darkening as the hand on his back snuck round to stroke over his stomach, and he fought to escape the embrace once again. "Hey! So what you have 'touching rights' now?"  
"Naturally. Though if you would prefer a more intimate touch I would unquestioningly oblige-"  
"-Get off!"

The Demon Lord's brow quirked in hidden amusement as he released his brother though continued to watch him thoughtfully.

After another of those all-too familiar silences had befallen them, Sesshomaru ventured speech once again. "There is the beginnings of a chill on the air; we should head back inside," Sesshomaru stated, stepping aside and gesturing for Inuyasha to move first.  
"Why? Afraid you'll get a cold?" At this, the older sibling refrained from smirking.  
"That careless attitude will have to alter if you are to carry my heir. Things are going to have to change, Inuyasha."

The Half-demon rolled his eyes before moving towards the castle, his brother following behind him. "You know what this means don't you?" He asked, a strangely amused look to his features as Sesshomaru stepped into stride beside him.  
"No."  
"You fought me while I was pregnant. What an irresponsible father-"  
"-I thought you did not want me to use that word."

When Inuyasha simply frowned he elaborated. "_'Pregnant'_, you disliked it. Whenever it was used you experienced a small flicker of irritation."

Inuyasha shook his head slightly upon remembering that his brother and he could now read each other's feelings, and that (in some cases) seemed to be almost as useful as mind-reading.  
"_That_ is gonna start getting annoying real quick. I'm already getting pissed off with it."  
"I am aware-"  
"-Okay stop it," the Half-demon cut across him, folding his arms inside his sleeves, feigning petulance. "Can't wait 'til you get to share my mood swings…"

TBC


	15. Rest in Me

**Chapter Fifteen  
Rest In Me**

Sesshomaru couldn't believe it. Never, since the days of his father, had another being dared to speak down to him as Takara was doing now. And what was perhaps worse – it was working all too well…  
"So you perceive the problem, My Lord," Takara concluded, "this behaviour is risky for Inuyasha at best, but whilst he is carrying, it is fatal to your pup. Should you desire your pup to live?"

Golden eyes surveyed the healer carefully. "Do not be so ridiculous Takara," The Demon Lord all-but growled, "of course I desire it to live."  
The Dark-haired-demon watched him from across the hall they stood in, the door to Takara's study (which stood behind them) remaining closed to prevent the Half-demon still inside the room from hearing their conversation.

"Then forgive me for speaking so abruptly, My Lord, but you must respect that Inuyasha is in a more vulnerable state than even _human_ females." To this Sesshomaru frowned slightly, not entirely sure how that was possible, until Takara continued. "His body is blessed with the ability to carry pups himself _and_ to give pups to a female, which means there must be differences to a normal pregnancy. There have been few cases like this before, and even in known cases there is little information that helps – We cannot chance any of the risks. The slightest thing could be fatal…"

The Demon Lord tore his eyes from Takara, gaze wandering to the side as pensiveness overtook him. Surely he could endure anything to avoid those horrible consequences? Even his stoic character could not argue with his instincts as they all-but screamed to protect his new family. His fangs grated together in irritation at his rational mind's lack of say in the matter, though forced himself to speak nonetheless.

"Indeed, and we are to avoid those fatal consequences at all costs. What are the main concerns for Inuyasha and the pup's health?" Takara offered his Lord a small smile, leaning back against the closed door slightly.  
"He should refrain from much physical overexertion. He must eat and drink plenty, and his diet must include a little of everything – I will inform the kitchen staff what to prepare for him for his meals."

Sesshomaru nodded slightly, verging on speech when the other demon continued. "A lot of rest and sunshine is advised, and most importantly, he must not suffer distress in any way. This means, My Lord that you will have to endeavour to be nice to him."

A small growl escaped from the Demon Lord's lips. Hadn't Takara been paying attention? He _had_ been nice to Inuyasha – _unbearably_ nice! If he'd been any nicer he would have died from the effort!  
"_Nice_?" Sesshomaru repeated quietly, not quite understanding where Takara got the confidence to speak like that to him and still be smiling like a proud father afterwards.  
"Yes Sire," Takara answered, "even though the mood swings you will undoubtedly enjoy most of all will soon be upon him."

Again Sesshomaru fought off a grimace at the prospect; Inuyasha had been unpredictable enough before hand, the thought of it worsening seemed both impossible and terrifying.  
"And is Inuyasha aware of what he must be careful of?" he nodded the affirmative.  
"Certainly, however, you are aware as much as I, Sire, that he will not be told what to do."_ In other words it will be up to me to force him to do as he is told in the nicest way possible, _Sesshomaru added mentally, refraining from shaking his head in light of the impossible task._ I may wither into old age before my bicentennial…_

Clawed fingers tapped impatiently on the arms of the chair he was in, staring around the simply dressed room, bored with awaiting Sesshomaru and Takara's return into the room. He'd been waiting what seemed like forever, and his patience was wearing thin. An impatient sigh shuddered past his lips, followed by a small growl of irritation, and he folding his arms sulkily, the action drawing attention to the suddenly very vulnerable part of him.

Inclining his head slightly the Half-demon stared down at his body. It was hard to believe that there was actually a small life in there, he hated to admit even to himself but he was fascinated at the thought. The folds of his kimono were parted slightly by curious fingertips, which smoothed over the exposed skin of his stomach, tracing the life within slowly. He knew he couldn't feel nor see it yet, not really, though somehow a small flicker of a smile played at his lips, swearing that he felt…_different_ somehow.

He found himself wondering to what extent he'd grow with this pup – he'd seen women get so huge it looked their stomach was about to explode, and he cringed mentally at that, silently praying that he didn't get that big, it was bad enough he was pregnant at all, without looking grossly so and advertising it to the world.

A frown crossed his features. He wasn't sure whether he was upset or pleased with the pup yet, all he knew was he was confused, and that he certainly didn't like the fact that he was having _Sesshomaru's_ kid – especially since the fact that he _could_ carry a man's child was still frightening and new to him. He grit his teeth, knowing that whatever and _however_ this had come about, it wasn't the pup's fault, yet despite that, he could not help but feel this fond curiosity sometimes slipping under the pressure of the overwhelming fear of it all, falling into something darker, finding himself wishing the child away…

A small bead of blood escaped from his lip as his fangs scraped tender flesh unconsciously, striving to take back what he knew to be awful thoughts. But it was so new, and confusing – he hated not knowing, not understanding, because it meant he was afraid, after a lifetime of telling himself _not_ to be afraid.

Fear was like acid scorching his chest as he swallowed, his proud demon blood berating him furiously for it each time. He hated being weak. How had it changed to hate so quickly? He didn't know… All he could make out was that his head was starting to throb painfully, and he knew that all the stressful emotions assaulting his mind were surely conveying to Sesshomaru, who (as a result) would be storming into the room at any moment.

In that split second, the door flew open, and Inuyasha felt a wave of relief wash over him, like the weighted veil had been lifted, supported by his mate's entry into the room and held off his own already heavy body. He didn't ponder this too long, for he knew it would only enrage him further if he did, instead he tipped his head back slightly, closing his eyes and breathing the scent in carefully, trying to calm his racing pulse that had began to thud wildly with the confusing thoughts attacking him at once. And Sesshomaru moved forwards, setting a cautious hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, admittedly shocked when he did not move nor pull away, and further confused when he felt ease caress his mate's body and raw emotions, until the harsher of them subsided slightly. "Are you alright, Inuyasha?" The Demon Lord asked, again _cautious_, fully expecting one of those dreadful mood swings.

For a moment, Inuyasha was silent, basking unthinkingly in the concern that plagued Sesshomaru's voice and heart, the same concern that was offered him earlier. Though the Half-demon (again) hated to admit it, he took the smallest pleasure in feeling that concern directed at him, even if it _was _just because he wanted the pup in his belly safe and healthy…

"Yeah," Inuyasha responded at last, voice uncharacteristically tired, tongue flicking out to swipe the blood from his lip before Sesshomaru paid it any attention. "Yeah, fine…"  
"Excellent," Takara chimed in, closing the door behind him and moving over to the desk, sitting behind it. "I will prepare you a tonic that must be taken with every meal. It will soothe your morning sickness and any soreness that may occur."

Inuyasha flushed at that, particularly when Sesshomaru looked to Takara to elaborate. The Healer smiled. "I am not sure which Lord Inuyasha will suffer from, though he is sure to suffer from _some_ at that women must endure at least – nipples, stomach, genitals-"  
"-Okay!" Inuyasha cut him off indignantly, "he don't have to know about any sore parts!"  
"Forgive me Young Sire, however it would be advisable that he does, since (being a demon _not_ human) Sesshomaru may have abilities as your mate to ease a lot of discomfort you may experience that it would be…_inappropriate_ for me to try and relieve for you." The Half-demon disliked the sound of that, and so flushed even darker as a response.

"It is not only because it is your first but also because you are 'blessed' with both male and female abilities that things will be more painful than usual as the pup continues to grow. I will obviously endeavour to give you any herbal remedies that would help, but simple things such as massages or-"  
"-Sesshomaru _massaging_ me? Massaging what? Are you just-"  
"-_Or_," Takara continued, disregarding Inuyasha's words, though smiling slightly as he did so, "as a canine demon, Lord Sesshomaru may have some…_natural_ remedies to offer you."

Inuyasha blinked, looking first to Takara, then to his mate, then back to the Healer once more, wary of the meaning of those words. "_'Natural remedies'_, like what?" He received no answer. "_Hello?_ Like what?" Takara opened a draw in his desk, distracting himself by searching for something in its depths, whilst Sesshomaru merely smirked, leaning down to brush against a nervously flickering ear.  
"I will show you later if you would like," the Demon Lord whispered into the furry appendage, though Inuyasha instead doing his best to pretend he hadn't heard anything at all.

"Besides that, Lord Inuyasha," Takara said in an 'at last' sort of voice as he emerged from the desk, "I will give the tonic to the kitchen staff to serve with all meals, and you are aware of all other things you are to be aware of – it would be best if you heeded by advice, My Lord, for your sake as well as the pup's."

Inuyasha snorted at that, folding his arms sulkily and staring fixedly at the wall opposite, rather that look at either of the demons in the room with him.

"Additionally – this pup, due to the early symptoms I can tell, possesses more demon blood than you do, My Lord."

Both brothers looked to the dark-haired-demon at that.

"Which means?" Inuyasha asked, aggravated at the way this man seemed to pause for dramatic effect whenever they spoke.  
"It means, Young Sire, that as your pup grows it will feed off your demonic powers, (as all demon pups do during their time in the womb to develop their own powers) leaving the carrier weakened. Though because it is more demon that you, My Lord, it will sap more of your strength, rendering you weaker than perhaps is healthy, and certainly more than most _demonesses_ might be."

A frown fell across the Half-demon's features, and he began to gnaw his lip once more as clawed fingers gripped the arms of the chair. The thought of being weaker than he was now – for god knows how long, and therefore dependant on Sesshomaru for that time for _everything_ was more than he could bear. The Demon Lord sensed this brewing distress in his mate, and glanced down at him carefully, knowing his brother's pride was the thing mostly troubling him right now.

"Is there no way we could alter that?" Sesshomaru asked, surprising Inuyasha a little. Takara seemed pleased that it had been the oldest brother that had asked, that same smile betraying those very thoughts as he surveyed them through his interlocked fingers.

"I am afraid that there is no way to alter it no, and even so, restricting the energy the pup tries to take will not only stunt its growth but result in possible deformities and undeveloped or _wrongly_ developed body parts or demonic powers – it is unadvisable even if it were possible."

Both siblings nodded, though Takara continued. "However, I am sure that you have both felt the disembodying pull towards each other?" They frowned in unison.  
"What?" Inuyasha asked, confused once again, "like…wanting to be with each other all the time?"  
"Not exactly," The Healer answered, "it is a maternal thing really. You have no control over it, it is merely instincts; as you feel your body becoming more vulnerable and weaker (whether consciously or unconsciously) you not only _desire_ but _need_ to be with your alpha – it is an instinctual process that occurs in _every_ pregnancy. You feel as if you need to be protected or you will panic. Whereas Sesshomaru feels the pull towards you and the pup – needing to be with you at all times to ensure your safety. During this time (which lasts from conception until up to two months after the birth) the pup feeds off _Inuyasha's_ demonic energy, but Sesshomaru will unconsciously permit Inuyasha enough to sustain him (without losing any of his own initial strength)."

Inuyasha felt a growl brewing in the back of his throat, though quashed it before it escaped his mouth. That was an awful lot of words which all initially meant he was stuck under Sesshomaru's gaze and in his debt for a long, _long_ time – weak and in pain, _all_ of those things he _really_ didn't want to be.

The silence that had long since fallen after Takara's previous words was broken by an embarrassingly loud growl from Inuyasha's stomach, both sets of eyes falling on him. "Well I'm hungry, _okay_?" he snapped, not liking being stared at.  
"Indeed," Sesshomaru responded, repressing a smirk (though only just), though as he glanced down, he noted something he had missed before – that Inuyasha's kimono was slightly open around his stomach. "You were looking?"

The Half-demon frowned at him, at first not knowing what he'd meant, though when his tired mind had caught on, he seized the fabric roughly, tying it shut once more. "No!"  
"You were, you were looking," Sesshomaru insisted, "what did you hope to see?"  
"It's my stomach and I can DAMN well look at it all I DAMN WELL WANT!"

Suddenly a small ringing brushed against the ears of the brothers, causing them both to look up from their argument, to Takara, who had a small bell in his hand. Again that smile played at his lips, and he gathered himself to his feet. "Now that I have your attention my Lords, I will remind you of how important it is for Inuyasha to eat and drink plenty, and will hence urge you to head down to get something to eat."

With the argument quite dissipated into the slowly easing atmosphere, Sesshomaru turned to his little brother.  
"We will take our meal in the drawing room; Miss Akane has arrived with your clothing and has been waiting there for some time now. It would be imprudent to keep her waiting any longer."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, leaping to his feet. "And you should not move so overenthusiastically when you're in this _condition_-"  
"-Oh _bite_ me!" Inuyasha growled in irritation, storming across the room, flinging the door open and charging out into the hall. "And get your prissy butt out here I don't know where the damn 'drawing room' is!"

The Demon Lord was once again forced to suppress a smirk at those words that sounded from out in the hall, as he followed his brother out the room.

Inuyasha kept his sulky composure all the way down to the 'drawing room'. His mood not even lightening at the sight of the dramatically large portion of lunch that was presented him when they got there. He nevertheless ploughed through it all the same, often mumbling obscenities under his breath with his mouth full of food. _At least the large food amounts he must eat will be __**one**__ thing he will not complain about, _Sesshomaru thought.

After what seemed like forever of watching Inuyasha launch an all-out assault on his tray of food, Ayane smiled warmly at the younger brother, before bowing low to Sesshomaru. "Please My Lord, I have the wardrobe you ordered." The Demon girl gestured to the countless parcels wrapped in pale paper that sat beside her on the table. Sesshomaru nodded, getting to his feet and beginning to examine the clothing. "Lady Rin has already taken her kimono, that was correct to give it to her Sire?"  
"Indeed." The Demon lord nodded absently.

Still piling the prescribed food into his mouth, Inuyasha's petulant expression followed his older brother's every movement, not caring that Ayane offered him embarrassed girlish looks every moment or so. "Are they to your liking Lord Sesshomaru?" There was a short silence.  
"They should do. They are very high quality, however I would expect no less from your father. Let him know his services were appreciated at such short notice."

The female smiled once more, bowing low to him, though casting an interested glance to Inuyasha upon regaining her composure.

"Wait here and I will return shortly," these were the only words Sesshomaru offered her before he left her and Inuyasha alone in the room, though making sure to pass his mate a glance that clearly stated: _'stay here'_ before departing.

The Half-demon snorted, turning back to his tray and pausing in the attack of his meal only to down the pain-relieving liquid that stood in the flask at the side (Takara's remedy) before he continued. Though whilst pushing the last slice of meat around the plate for a moment, preparing to shove it in his mouth, his gaze wandered briefly, noticing the girl's eyes lingered over him still, making him slightly uncomfortable. He never had been able to handle female attention well, partially due to his uncharacteristic shyness, partially because of his self-loathing, paranoia.

There's one thing to be said for Sesshomaru at least, Inuyasha thought as he set the now empty tray aside – Sesshomaru (since they'd started out in this _'relationship'_ despite how it'd began) had appreciated and worshipped his _'filthy half-demon body'_, not tortured or hurt it in the way he'd been fully expecting – The ways that he'd been promised would be the only ways he'd be made-love-to if he ever had the luck to find someone that would do so. But Sesshomaru had loved his body even if he hadn't loved _him_ in the way he wanted.

"What're damn well staring at?" The Half-demon asked tersely. The girl didn't react to his tone, merely continued to stare. Were human girls immune to his grouchiness or something?  
"Forgive me Young Sire, I merely… Is it true that you are now Lord Sesshomaru's mate?" She asked innocently. Inuyasha (struggling to hide his flush) shrugged.  
"Yeah, I guess so…" he grumbled. Immediately a dazed, day-dreamy look overcame her features, and Inuyasha refrained from waving his hand before her eyes to see if she was still there.

"Lord Sesshomaru has never expressed a wish to take a partner before," She murmured in awe, and Inuyasha could only shrug once more.  
"So? Who cares…?"

The girl leaned forwards slightly in the seat she had taken up, still staring at him – evidently deeming him much more suitable to talk to than Sesshomaru, as well as much more interesting. The Half-demon could not help but allow his ears to flicker in a strange sort of pride at the way they caught her attention every so often.

"Are you permanently bonded? That is…will you help run the lands? Will you stay here and be joint ruler?"

At this Inuyasha blanched slightly, clawed fingers caressing his flat stomach unconsciously. "I guess I don't have a choice now…" To this, the adolescent demoness tilted her head slightly in confusion.  
"What do you mean Young Sire?" she asked. Still absently petting his stomach, Inuyasha sighed exasperatedly.  
"With this pup in me it don't look like I'm going anywhere…"  
"Why that's good isn't it? There's neither demon nor demoness that wouldn't want Sesshomaru to protect and provide and make love to them."  
"HEY!" he shouted, blushing crimson. "Enough of that!" At his coarse tone the girl leapt off her chair bowing so low, so swiftly the Half-demon feared her back would break.

"I apologise, My Lord, I am merely confused as to why you do not seem pleased. You have the most powerful, most beautiful demon lord as your mate, and you yourself are-" She blushed before continuing, "-as equal if not _more_ blessed in beauty as he. And even though male, you have the ability to bear strong offspring. You have everything anyone could want for but, you are not happy Young Sire?"

Inuyasha frowned as he regarded her carefully. She was not teasing or being critical, merely…confused. Though her tone carried an air of friendly persistence, that Inuyasha somehow appreciated.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said thoughtfully, contemplating her words. "But you make it sound like I can't see how _lucky_ I am… I know there's no other half-demon that could ever even _dare_ to dream of having the things I've been given over the last few days. But it's just…too much…too fast… And…he can give me all he wants, and it'll never be what _I_ want…"

At the soft, uncharacteristic sadness in his voice, the girl straightened up from her bow at last, staring at him through sympathetic, lilac eyes that matched her kimono perfectly.  
"Why so melancholy, Lord Inuyasha?" she asked apprehensively. Inuyasha avoided her eyes then, she looked nothing like her, but it hurt to see the familiarity of a friendly expression upon her features – it look so painfully like Kagome he felt a burning pain flutter within his chest.

"A friend of mine once said it was easier to talk to strangers about some things…" Finally managing to raise he eyes, he saw that sympathetic look, and it undid him. He felt exposed somehow, and straightened up immediately, gathering his rough composure once again. "Anyway stop lookin' at me like that, stupid girl." She blushed, giggling girlishly. "What's so funny?"  
"Merely your choice of words, Young Sire," she answered, still giggling, "I am not a day younger than you, Sire. No, in fact I am two human years older."

The Half-demon frowned, examining her features from across the room. She had the appearance of a 14 year-old (in human years), but she was _older_ than him? _I guess I'm a lot younger in demon years than I thought_… He'd always thought of himself as not quite short of a grown-up, but looking at this _child_ that was older than him, he realised now just how very young he was – still an adolescent. _Which makes Sesshomaru a cradle-robbing pervert,_ Inuyasha thought with a slightly disturbed smirk.

Suddenly the door opened, breaking the casual atmosphere as the Demon lord returned, disregarding Inuyasha's presence completely and moving directly to Ayane, pushing a small (and evidently heavy) velvet pouch into her grasp. "There a little something to fund your trouble also; be sure to keep some for yourself as well as your sister – your father maybe talented with his stitching but he had better not think he can fool me."

The girl frowned slightly, as did Inuyasha, neither understanding his meaning.  
"I am of high-enough ability to tell the difference between clothing made by his hand, and nimble _female_ hands," he picked up the nearest garment she had brought for Inuyasha, gesturing to it carefully. "I do realise that these garments are the luxurious works of your sister and yourself."

She flushed, bowing low. "Indeed, thank you My Lord." He did not smile, nor change his stoic expression in any way, though Inuyasha could sense one flickering behind his mouth.

"Thank you for your services, I will be sure to call upon _you_ when Inuyasha requires maternity clothes," he assured her. Inuyasha blushed, leaping to his feet to argue though he was quickly silenced by a stern gaze flickering in his direction from those golden eyes. Ayane bowed to both lords once more, before departing their company, closing the door behind her.

The lords stood there for a moment, each pondering something different, and though Sesshomaru's thoughts were a mystery to Inuyasha, the Half-demon could not help but realise that his brother had given that little demoness a complement (however well-disguised it might have been).

"Will you not come and see your new clothing?" Sesshomaru asked. Inuyasha struggled to hide his awkwardness at receiving such expensive presents – or presents at all, having never received any since his mother's death. Clearing his throat loudly he shrugged.  
"Nah, I know what's there."

Sesshomaru turned to face him sternly, mistaking Inuyasha's discomfort for ungratefulness. "She must have slaved over these materials all this time to get this many garments ready, show some respect for her efforts."

Inuyasha sneered, not liking his brother's misinterpretation at all, though deciding not to argue and draw attention to the real reason, he moved over to the clothes he'd been presented with, running his fingers over the silk material unsurely.

After a moment of simply watching this manoeuvre Sesshomaru moved forwards. His hands skimmed over curved hips gently, before brushing against the small of Inuyasha's back, causing an involuntary shiver to course through him, as the Demon Lord's hot breath steamed into furry ears. "Try them on," Sesshomaru all-but purred. Inuyasha wet his lips nervously at the persuasive order.  
"W-Why?"  
"I would like to see you in them."

Inuyasha didn't move. Long fingers he'd come to like a little too much tugged at the ties of his kimono, until his hakama fell to the floor. Those hands smoothed across his exposed stomach to appreciate the soft expanse of flesh as the digits parted his remaining clothing. Still he didn't move. His instincts muttered hushed orders to be still and allow himself to be completely vulnerable to his alpha's attentions only, to get his suddenly helpless body as close to Sesshomaru's skin as possible.

The Demon Lord leant in, flicking his tongue against the mating mark slowly, before latching on. Inuyasha cried out quietly, eyes glassy. Sesshomaru smirked, enjoying his little brother's swift admittance of defeat, finding that there was more perks to having a pregnant Inuyasha as his mate than he'd anticipated. It was all due to a canine uke's instinct to not be noticed whilst carrying, except by the alpha from whom they instead craved attention in order to feel secure – _safe_.

Inuyasha leant his head against Sesshomaru's so their cheeks met, the Half-demon grazing his claws gently of the arms that embraced him. "Are you going to fuck me?" Inuyasha asked breathlessly. Again Sesshomaru smirked.  
"Such a brazen question, how uncharacteristic of you…" the Demon murmured huskily. Inuyasha groaned, flicking his tongue swiftly over a demonic crest on his mate's cheek. That desperateness to be loved in any way at all had taken hold of him, and he needed it, no matter how much of his pride it cost. It was just anther mood swing that Sesshomaru was appreciating far too much.

"Lie down," Sesshomaru breathed, though when Inuyasha merely leant back into him, he guided him to the couch, watching as puppy eyes stared up into his, wide and glassy, silently asking for affection. Still holding the golden gaze, Sesshomaru lowered himself onto the couch beside him, arms resting either side, holding his weight off of that body as he dropped open-mouthed kisses across half-demon skin.

"Would you like me to explain to you what _'natural remedies'_ I could offer you?" Sesshomaru purred. Inuyasha flushed at the implications, watching that tongue descend, tracing the smooth lines of his stomach dotingly. Sesshomaru held his gaze all the while, that puppyish expression nearly undoing him. "It is the same as when I heal you with my tongue," he explained. "Sore or wounded flesh can be healed in the same manner."

Inuyasha cried out quietly as the Demon Lord captured his nipple gently in his mouth, never dropping his gaze, a look flickering into those eyes that suddenly spurred something inside the younger sibling.

"What am I to you?" the Half-demon asked suddenly, voice still tainted with arousal Sesshomaru frowned upon hearing that question pass his brother's lips.  
"What?" he asked, sitting back slightly, Inuyasha struggling to sit up.  
"What…_are_ we? You say I'm your mate but I have no idea what that means you just… It means I have to stay with you forever don't it? As your whore? As your baby-carrier?"

Sesshomaru could feel Inuyasha's emotions screaming in his ears, and he backed up further as Inuyasha leapt to his feet.  
"Sit down and cease this ridiculous-"  
"-It's NOT ridiculous-"  
"-I thought we had been through this, why do you persist in this futile arguing? These mood-swings are beginning to irritate me. Love is an unnecessary emotion-"  
"-It's not unnecessary to me!"

Suddenly, Sesshomaru seized the Half-demon's arms, dragging him down to the seat beside him as the signs of a tantrum boiled in his expression. "We are lovers you little fool! Mates are similar to lovers, though an inescapable, deeper, _marital_ bond that is as passionate as it is permanent."

Inuyasha (evidently taken aback) was speechless, staring at him again with the same gaze as before.  
"I admit," Sesshomaru continued, "I cannot offer you love, but can you deny that I can and _have_ given you everything else?" To this the Half-demon said nothing, so his older sibling pressed on. "Do I hurt or displease you when I make love you?"  
"No…"  
"Do I not flatter, protect and worship you?"  
"Yes…"  
"Have I not sworn that my attentions and body will be strictly yours as long as yours is mine?"  
"Yes…"  
"Can I not offer you every material desire you could want?" The Demon persisted and Inuyasha nodded the affirmative, eyes still locked with his.

"If you can have everything else that you could desire, is that not acceptable for the sake of one missing thing?"

Inuyasha, again said nothing. Sesshomaru could feel his emotions so why couldn't he see why Inuyasha disagreed with this so much? _Because we don't love each other,_ Inuyasha thought, his anger dissipating, energy instead turning attention to another worry.

"So…I'm not just a temporary toy you're going to throw away when you're bored?" he asked, almost meekly. Sesshomaru would have rolled his eyes; instead he shook his head slightly, leaning back in the seat.  
"Your needless anxiety is something you will have to get rid of, Inuyasha..."

TBC

A/N: Well, hope ya liked. There was a little mush and some delving deeper into their relationship. I think you can see why Ayane has been brought back into it. There will be quite a few characters which will appear and re-appear in order to spur either Inuyasha or Sesshomaru on, and help them both realise things they may not be able to on their own. Neways gotta go, hope you all liked and please review ^_^

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	16. Awaiting Me

**Chapter Sixteen  
Awaiting Me**

As eventful as the day had been, the Demon Lord was not surprised (though _was_ thankful) that Inuyasha did not put up the usual struggle before climbing into the same bed with him. Perhaps Sesshomaru had not realised how physically and mentally draining the past few days in Inuyasha's company had been. But the moment he pressed his head into the pillows he felt his eyelids turn to lead, and swiftly sleep crept up on him, the Demon only awake long enough to feel Inuyasha press back into him slightly in an attempt to steal his body heat.

The evidence of his tiredness however, showed only when the effects on the Half-demon's now pregnant body made themselves known. Inuyasha had been up at least six times in the first two hours of 'sleep', and every time Sesshomaru had awoken. Irritable by this time, he threw a dangerous glare to his mate each time he clambered back into bed, warming his body (now cold from the many treks to relieve his bladder) on Sesshomaru, who grudgingly allowed the momentarily unwanted contact.

On the seventh time, the Half-demon awoke to the uncomfortable pressure within his bladder, his head tucked under the Demon Lord's chin. "I have to go again," Inuyasha mumbled, voice surprisingly apologetic. Sesshomaru emitted a small, rumbling growl before rolling over slightly to allow Inuyasha to get up.

It was these repetitive needs to relieve himself that continued to disturb Sesshomaru, until at last his ingenious body turned off completely and he simply stopped waking when Inuyasha got up, this however, left the Half-demon with a problem when it came to the now growling emptiness of his stomach. Inuyasha lay on his back, Sesshomaru's arm draped carefully around him, his eyes staring up at the dark canopy over the bed, thinking…

He glanced to Sesshomaru, his barely audible, unconscious breaths panting lightly against his cheek. _He'd surely be pissed if I woke him now,_ thought Inuyasha, sighing heavily. For some reason vexing his brother any further was something he _really_ didn't want to do. Though Takara had explained the reason behind this, it did not make it any less baffling. And it did not in any way help his growling tummy. He supposed if his body was working, even when he was sitting still, it would require more energy, and therefore more food. Food… Geez he was hungry…

He finally resolved to do something about it, and swinging his legs off the side of the bed he got to his feet once more, leaving the room in search of food.

The cool dark of the halls welcomed him, though the cold stone beneath his feet was an icy awakening. He really didn't want to be up any more, but if his expectant body required nourishment, he didn't think it was a good idea to deny it, not if he wanted a healthy pup – which he did (oddly). When all was said and done, this was his pup – the only thing that wouldn't leave him, and the only thing that would ever fully love, or belong to him.

After seemingly endless flights of stairs he found his way to the large kitchen, though heading towards it, he saw the door slightly ajar – the light still on and voices coming from within…

"…I know… I've never seen Lord Sesshomaru so-"  
"-Controlled?" Suggested a male voice.  
"No," the female argued, "_smitten_, for lack of a better word…" Laughter filled the warm room, and as Inuyasha stepped closer, he saw the figures, the six kitchen staff. The four males were laughing alongside one of the females, laughing at the final girl's words.  
"Lord Sesshomaru does not even feel emotion," one of the men argued, "much less _fall_ for someone. That human girl is the only one that he cares for and even then the most affectionate sign he shows her is calling her by her name."

The Girl frowned. "Why else? Tell me, why would Lord Sesshomaru keep so close to a half-demon's side if he didn't care for him?" The sniggering did not cease, but the girl turned from her duties at the sink to face those in the room, and Inuyasha pressed a little closer to listen. She believed Sesshomaru loved him? He nearly sniggered at that, what a joke. But he couldn't help but feel that little twinge of appreciation for this stranger who was sticking up for him, _whoever_ she was. He frowned as she swept dark hair from her eyes. He recognised her from…_somewhere_, if only he could remember where…

"Besides, with those cute little ears and those looks he gives Sesshomaru, how could he _not_ be in love with him."

Inuyasha blushed, particularly when a look of contemplation struck their features, as if actually considering an imaginary image of him in their minds.  
"Well you can't tell what his body is like 'cause of that baggy kimono, but his face sure is sweet enough," a light-haired male said finally, breaking the quiet that had fallen.  
"Are you kiddin' me? Firstly even that fire-rat doesn't hide that cute ass, and secondly would Lord Sesshomaru lay any body that wasn't up to his disgracefully high standards?" They nodded slightly, their conversation continuing, but Inuyasha didn't want to hear anymore. This was something he shouldn't and _couldn't_ hear…

Inuyasha cleared his throat loudly as he entered the room. All fell silent. "Hey," he said awkwardly, trying not to raise his eyes to the people in the room, that were all staring at him – partly afraid, partly apologetic. "It's late, but I…" he paused, not venturing speech again until he'd thoroughly ridded himself of that mild, meek tone that didn't suit him at all. "I was hungry, is this the kitchen or not for crying out loud?"

The Dark-haired-girl that had spoken on his behalf before, straightened up. "Of course My Lord, I apologise. I will fetch you something right away. Lord Takara advised us that apples and fish in particular would be most beneficial to yourself and the pup."

Inuyasha flushed slightly at those words, pulling his sleeping kimono a little tighter round his flat stomach.

His gaze was left to wander over the others in the room as the girl turned to prepare the food, and Inuyasha could not help but notice them becoming visibly anxious about his presence – they knew he'd overheard them? "What?" Inuyasha snapped, the nearest to him crumbling under the pressure.  
"I am sorry my Lord, for what was said, I-"  
"-Ah, shut up," he grumbled, "don't matter, you're entitled to an opinion – besides, I can't say as I disagree with what you said. He _doesn't_ care about me – I can't get pissed off about the truth…" _Wouldn't be the first time though,_ his mind added.

"Here you go, Young Sire," the girl said, turning to face Inuyasha with a small tray. "If you eat it here you will not have to carry it all the way back to your chambers with you." Inuyasha nodded, taking it from her uncomfortably,  
"Uh, yeah, thanks," he muttered, lowering himself onto the stool to gulf down to food as quickly as possible, in order to get out from under their heavy gazes. "What's your name?" He managed out, despite his mouth being full. She frowned slightly as he looked at her. "Uh, I mean…I recognise you from _somewhere_."

She smiled, laughing slightly. "I do not think you know me, My Lord, but my name is Ai." He stared at her thoughtfully. He _had_ known a girl called Ai, had saved her family and friends from that island so very long ago, but this wasn't her, he could tell that. _Just a coincidence,_ he thought, _so where do I recognise her face from?_

"How did you get here?" He asked, his voice no longer obstructed by a mouthful of food (his meal long since gone from the plate). The girl smiled again, taking the empty plate from beneath his gaze and setting it in the sink before answering.  
"Lord Sesshomaru brought a lot of us girls here quite some time ago, I was one of them."

A frown met Inuyasha's gaze. He hadn't liked the sound of that. "Right," he said, getting to his feet swiftly, "Thanks, for the food, I better be getting back upstairs now."  
"Good night, Young Sire."

Those words plagued him all the way back up the many stairs. His bare feet all-but recoiled from the cold flooring beneath his feet, that sensation all that was keeping him from falling completely into thoughtfulness and slamming into the wall.

_"Your jealously is needless, Inuyasha…I can be a faithful lover to you, if that is what you desire…"_

Those words caressed his mind as he recalled them, clawed fingers pausing on the brink of pushing the door to his and Sesshomaru's chambers open. Though even if Sesshomaru had promised his fidelity, that was _after_ these girls had been brought here. The thought of the person he slept with, sharing his bed with anyone other than him just rubbed him up the wrong way for some reason unknown to him.  
_  
"Lord Sesshomaru brought a lot of us girls here quite some time ago, I was one of them."_

Maybe he was just taking it the wrong way, but then again…even when they were together Sesshomaru reminded him of how many lovers he'd had or _could_ have. A white hot anger brewed in the pit of his stomach.  
_  
"Do I detect a flicker of jealousy, Little Brother?"_

He cringed. He was so blatantly jealous is was painful. Fangs grated together in irritation. He was glad Sesshomaru was still asleep; he didn't think he could hide his wayfaring emotions even if he tried. _Especially with these marks connecting us, _he thought, rubbing his scar absently.

Pushing the door open, the Half-demon stepped inside, closing it as softly as possible behind him. Staring across the room, he could see silver hair fanned out across the bedspread, the naked upper-body of his mate visible above the blankets, and though his back was to him currently (still facing his empty side of the bed) he was sure Sesshomaru was asleep. Making his way across the room, he fought to shake the uncomfortable thoughts from his mind. He jumped back in shock as an arm shot forwards, Sesshomaru holding the blankets up for him to climb under. Heart still hammering in his chest, Inuyasha wet his lips nervously, sliding into the now cold beside. Warmth enveloped him as the Demon Lord's arms embraced him from behind, silently warming him.

"You were gone for quite some time," Sesshomaru said, but Inuyasha closed his eyes determinedly.  
"Yeah," he answered, disinterestedly.  
"What kept you?"  
"I was hungry, I went down to the kitchens…"  
"And?" the older male pressed. Inuyasha turned his head slightly so that he could capture his mate's gaze.  
"_And _what?"  
"And what caused this distress that you are emitting in waves?"

A low growl rumbled in the back of Inuyasha's throat. He knew Sesshomaru could read his emotions, but he'd been banking on the Demon Lord not being awake when he reached the chambers, and it irritated him even further to know that he'd eventually reveal just how childishly jealous he was…

"Who's Ai?" Inuyasha asked at last, braving speech. Sesshomaru frowned, not really sure why this question was so significant to his mate, and nuzzled his nose and mouth against the nape of his neck seductively, hot breath fogging up his skin.  
"It is a very common name amongst my numerous staff… Though, since you have recently returned from your little adventure to the kitchens, I assume you refer to the _human_ female named Ai?" Sesshomaru murmured simply. Inuyasha growled lowly in response to that.  
"Oh, so you've slept with so many people you can't specify whose who unless I refer to _species_?"

Sesshomaru's eyes opened, and he leant up on his side, elbow supporting him as he stared down into condemning golden eyes.  
"I believe you have lost my understanding on that note. Where did you ever start believing this Sesshomaru would bed a human?"

Inuyasha turned to lie flat on his back, so that the Demon Lord could receive the full force of his glare unhindered. "You fucked a half-demon, didn't you?"  
"Indeed," Sesshomaru said, smirking as he swept rebellious hair from Inuyasha's face, clawed fingers tracing the iridescent scar adorning his shoulder thoughtfully, causing the boy to shudder slightly. "Though you are somewhat…_exceptional_, as I have already pointed out. And in any case, that girl is only just into her second year of maturity – I may have taken a young mate but I harbour no fantasies regarding pre-pubescent humans." His smirk failed to fall from his lips as he lent in slightly, placing the boy beneath him with delicate passes of his lips, before drawing back ever so slightly.

"Jealously is an ugly emotion, Little Brother," he practically purred, causing Inuyasha to flush with anger. "Although on you it seems quite adorable."  
"Shut up!"  
"But it is needless. Ai and a handful of other mortal girls were captured a short while ago along with Rin, by several monks in opposition of demons-"  
"-I saw them! A while back, I wondered what you were doing then, you were…saving Rin…I hadn't realised it then but…"  
"Regardless, when I rescued Rin, she later asked me to go back to help them-"  
"-Which of course you did since that kid worships your ass and you just can't so no to those eyes of hers."  
"I would put you in that position and see if you could resist complying with her request," said Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha rolled his eyes.  
"So you brought 'em back here?"  
"Not all appreciated my offer, but those that did were brought here, yes."

A seemingly long, awkward silence ensued, and Inuyasha felt his cheeks reddening not only because of their intimate closeness, but also because of how obviously wrong he'd been. "I believe this would be an opportune time for you to apologise?" the Demon asked, but Inuyasha merely scowled.  
"Keh, whatever, apologise my ass…" The Half-demon yelped as Sesshomaru descended upon him their chests touching as Sesshomaru's right hand lowered to brush over his abdomen.  
"You refer to your backside so often…"  
"Shut up!"  
"You say that often also-"  
"-Get your hand off my stomach and get _off_ me!" The corner of Sesshomaru's lips merely quirked slightly. "Don't damn smile at me! You said you wouldn't do anything until I-"  
"-Whatever gave you the impression I would do anything against your will, Little Brother?" the older sibling murmured. Half-demon eyes widened as those lips brushed over his own, tongue sliding alongside his, coercing it into movement. Arms wrapped around the Demon Lord's neck as both sets of golden eyes slid closed.

He was helpless again. He couldn't help it. He could fight as long and as hard as he wanted but in the end he would always find himself enjoying it, and craving more, no matter how much he despised himself afterwards for it. _But if I have to stay here forever, if I can never escape, there really is no point in fighting, he'll only beat me all the harder if I do… In the end, it's better to just accept it, I suppose… But I can't…_

200 years of fighting to be the strongest, to keep everyone at arms length… 200 years of hatred from this person who purred against his mouth, caressing muscles that had been injured innumerable times (often enough by none-other-than himself), muscles tired of tensing at the first sign of movement, tired of running…  
_  
And I don't have to run anymore…not if I stay here…_

He was confused, and it hurt to be so lost when he'd been so used to how it had been before… It was better not to think, it was better just to feel, and relish in every contact, because he knew eventually, Sesshomaru would toss him aside, and he'd have only the memories of being touched in ways that mimicked affection to keep him warm once he was abandoned in the cold once more…

Lashes fluttered as his eyes opened, and Inuyasha stared up at Sesshomaru as he drew back to allow them breath. Every time he opened his eyes at these times, he found himself disturbed less and less by whose image he saw looming above him, by whose taste lingered over his mouth, and whose voice would usher into his ears afterwards.

It wasn't love, he knew that. He'd been hurt by that bitter emotion too many times to mistake it now. He loved Kagome, which was, perhaps the most powerful reason why this was all so confusing. Nevertheless, he was left wondering, how it had become so easy to be kissed, and held, and made love to by Sesshomaru…

Through the painful confusion, he barely registered himself diving forwards for another kiss, _anything_ to distract him from these thoughts. _200 years,_ he thought, _200 years of selfless stupidity, helping others, protecting them and doing what's best by them…_ If there was no one else left, how could he not be selfish, if only for this short time?

Inuyasha's breathless body rested back against the sheets, clenching and unclenching as Sesshomaru's mouth travelled his pale skin. The Demon pushing back his kimono to brush his lips over him further, grazing his fangs over more vulnerable areas until he cried out, admitting his bliss. When Sesshomaru's attentions ventured no lower, he found himself annoyed inwardly, impatience winning over, and causing him to turn onto his belly, rear raised slightly. If the Demon Lord had been in any way unsure of Inuyasha's desires previously, he certainly wasn't any longer. It was only natural, therefore, that Inuyasha frowned in confusion when he was seized about the hips, and rolled back onto his back once more.

"No," Sesshomaru said simply, fingers capturing a flickering ear, stroking it thoughtfully. Inuyasha blinked. _'No'_? What did he mean? "We must finalise our union before the first day of summer – before mating season begins, or else you will die. Until that union is finalised, I will not bed you." When Inuyasha seemed no clearer he merely smirked, a gesture that to anyone else, would mean death or at the very least _pain_.

"This period of chastity may benefit both you and this union. You will see. In any case, you prefer comfort to intimacy, do you not?" Sesshomaru teased. Inuyasha flushed with irritation and embarrassment, but before he could answer, Sesshomaru drew the sheets around him once more, forcing him into an embrace, the Half-demon's head tucked under his chin and against his chest, his entire upper body cradled by Sesshomaru's.

_It isn't love,_ he thought, _so what is it? Just loneliness? That may be it but…I'm not sure…_ He closed his eyes, ears flickering slightly as he heard his brother's heartbeat thud lightly. _Is Sesshomaru just as confused as I am? No… probably sure of everything as always…dead sure that as soon as this pup's in his arms I'll be out on my ass…_

* * *

Long fingers ran thoughtfully through crimson tresses, toying with the golden strands scattered throughout. Dark eyes surveyed the studying child beside her carefully. Nannami sighed as Rin looked up at her for the sixth time in the last few minutes, there was no getting around it, she would have to answer her unvoiced questions.

"Something bothers you Lady Rin?" As if she'd been waiting for this very moment, the girl set down her brush, staring up at her teacher.  
"Nannami-sensei, what is wrong with Lord Inuyasha?" the Human asked. The Demoness chewed her lip thoughtfully – she'd have to be tactful…

"Nothing is _wrong_ as such, however…" She paused, leaning closer to the girl slightly. "If I tell you, you must _not_ leap up at him or try to touch him, squeal loudly, and most importantly you must not tell either of the Lords that it was I that informed you of this – is that clear?"

The Human nodded frantically. Nannami regarded her carefully, still hesitant. "You have studied demonic physiology – have you not?" To Rin nodded once more. "Then you are aware that, just as it differs from a human's make-up, so to must it differ to that of a half-demon, such as Lord Inuyasha. Making certain things possible, that may have been impossible before." The Demoness explained. Rin leant forwards on the table slightly as Nannami's voice became quieter with each word. "Lord Inuyasha is pregnant."

Before Rin could launch the myriad of questions at her teacher, the door to the drawing room opened, a bewildered looking half-demon standing in the doorway. He stared at them for a moment, before venturing towards speech. "Oh, crap. This place is too big. I thought Takara said Sesshomaru was in the drawing room."

Nannami smiled. "Indeed, there are two drawing rooms in this wing alone, Young Sire. I believe that Lord Sesshomaru is-" But before she could finish, she was cut off, as Rin leapt to her feet, approaching Inuyasha. He frowned, staring down at the human at his feet, staring up at him with dark, innocent though prying eyes (that currently looked three times bigger than her head).

"What?" Inuyasha asked irritably, never taking too kindly to being stared at, even by sweet little girls. Rin continued to stare, though this time, a few words managed to escape her lips.  
"Can I touch it?" Rin asked, Nannami groaning inwardly, slapping her hand to her forehead. Inuyasha frowned.  
"You…" He paused then, the realisation hitting him, and he threw an accusatory glare to Nannami.

"You told her!" Nannami shook her head exasperatedly, only able to shrug in response. _Why do I even bother,_ she wondered.

* * *

A heavy sigh escaped the Half-demon's lips as his sleepy eyes adjusted to the irritating glare of the early morning sun. He turned his gaze slowly to the predictably empty side of the bed, Sesshomaru's heat long since departed from the sheets. He growled mentally. This had been happening a lot lately. Things had been calming down a great deal between them, one might say _too_ much. They would rarely argue, Sesshomaru would even permit freedom – though never beyond the castle walls without him. Nevertheless, besides this, Inuyasha was given anything he wanted, and though some might believe this to be_ ideal _or otherwise beneficial, Inuyasha merely found it…_odd…_

He had awoken to an empty beside for several days now, which usually would have been both normal, and acceptable, but he had become so accustomed to the Demon's company wherever he went. Now instead he continued to wake up lonely, a twinge of abandonment assaulting his mind. He knew it was only the insecurity and wariness fuelled by his pregnancy that was the route of this unease without his alpha's company, but despite that, he could not shake off the disturbing notion that when they weren't arguing they didn't have anything to talk about!

Knowing full well where Sesshomaru had escaped to so early, Inuyasha gathered himself to his feet, pulling on the pale sleeping kimono and heading out the door. It had only been a few weeks since his 'condition' was diagnosed, and at every turn he was forced to eat, sleep, rest and drink to a strict schedule set by Takara, and surveyed by Sesshomaru – who would disappear whenever his 'duties' were completed. And still (and perhaps more irritatingly) he refused to touch him, which normally settled well with him, but thanks to his off-kilter hormones, he'd wanted it a lot lately – and _badly_.

Nevertheless, his pregnancy was advancing at the rate of a demon's, just as Takara had expected. And his stomach (though not overly large) was still definitely not flat any longer – a small bulge had been growing rapidly, and now though still easily concealed by his baggy fire-rat kimono, it was evident that his body was changing, even if currently it looked like he'd merely been eating more.

_"Your pup is most definitely a demon. I can sense it, and most likely, you, Lord Inuyasha can tell also… This is down to its full demon father, and the fact that it is down to Inuyasha's demon blood correcting his half-demon body's unstable reproductive organs, that it has been created. In other words, that your demon blood is responsible or the fact that the pup was able to be conceived at all…"_

Inuyasha had had a hard time getting around that, it was so very confusing, but also so very embarrassing when Sesshomaru had divulged to Takara in front of him, that another reason for their pup's full-demon blood was because when he released himself inside him, Inuyasha was still in his full-demonic form. A blush rode across his cheeks even now, as he made his way down the countless stairs, silently wishing Sesshomaru's study was on the same floor as their room, so he would not have to make such a journey every time.

It had not taken him long to realise just how tired he was lately, and how much more easily it was to lose his energy. For such an energetic, athletic person, it had been strange to relish in the moments where he was both ordered and permitted rest. _Odd,_ Inuyasha repeated, _everything is odd lately…_

The door of Sesshomaru's study was pushed open roughly, and Inuyasha charged in, making a point of slamming it loudly behind him. He stood there, Jaken (who was standing before Sesshomaru's desk) leaping out of his skin and turning to fix him with a horrified glare. The Demon Lord merely raised his gaze casually from the papers on the desk, a stoic expression gracing his features as he looked to Inuyasha.

"You are up early today," he acknowledged, "something is wrong?"

Inuyasha growled under his breath at his brother's words. "Yeah, something's wrong, it wouldn't _kill_ you to stay in bed long enough for me to wake up would it?" At this, Sesshomaru quirked a brow.  
"If the lack of my company bothered you so you should have expressed it-"

Inuyasha shot forwards, nearly knocking Jaken over as he slammed his fists down onto the desk which creaked menacingly under the force. "Well I'm _damn_ well expressing it now!"

The Demon Lord failed to break, he merely stared at his brotherly thoughtfully, quite calm, not even rising to his feet. "Jaken," Sesshomaru said at last, the little toad straightening up slightly, ceasing to glare at Inuyasha reproachfully. "Leave us."

The Little Demon's reaction to discovering Inuyasha's pregnancy was one Sesshomaru did not intend to forget anytime soon. He could have sworn every inch of green skin had paled to a sickly puce colour, eyes growing large as the resentment in them burned strong that it seemed to strain the imp's body not to betray it. He could not have shown his hatred of Inuyasha any more clearly without announcing it, and yet, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha remained…amused at the sight of it every time the emotion crept back to his features. This was such a time, though Inuyasha, who was too livid to laugh at the look Jaken threw him, right up until he had closed the door behind him after departing their company.

"Now," Sesshomaru said in an _'at last'_ sort of tone, leaning back in his chair slightly. "If you would wait quietly for a few more moments, I will be finished up here." With that, he returned his attention to the papers on the desk, stacked tidily in several different piles. Inuyasha's fangs grated against each other, ears slicking back into his hair at those words, his mood only flew even further beyond his control at the suggestion that he wait even longer to be the centre of his mate's attention. His voice rising with forced anger shot past his lips without any instruction from his rational mind – he didn't know what he was saying, all he knew was that he'd say anything and everything until Sesshomaru stopped what he was doing and directed his focus towards him unhindered.

The Half-demon only partially comprehended the words that escaped his lips, but he understood that they failed to get Sesshomaru to look at him even, so he found himself striding around the desk, shoving the stack of papers from the desk (which must have been an entire morning's worth of effort to arrange) and sending the sheets flying in a confusing mess across the floor. At this, Sesshomaru sat back in his chair, meeting his little brother's gaze expressionlessly.

"Might I ask what the purpose of that was, Little Brother?" he asked impassively. Inuyasha scowled, separating Sesshomaru from the desk by standing between them.  
"Obviously violence is the only thing that'll get you to _look_ at me!"  
"I told you, I was nearly finished for-"  
"-What's _wrong_ with you?" Inuyasha all-but screamed, "I've done everything you wanted! Is it too much to ask for a bit of damn _attention_!"

Sesshomaru found himself struggling to keep himself from smirking at those last words. Inuyasha was trying to anger him to get a reaction, but it was merely amusing to see his efforts.  
"If the attention you require is sexual, I have already explained, our binding ceremony is set for the day before summer – the day before mating season begins, until then, I will not-"  
"-You damn sex-crazed ass! _Any_ attention you moron! You've been avoiding me!" The Half-demon spat.

Suddenly Sesshomaru leapt forwards, on the very edge of his chair, as he seized his mate's wrists, holding them against the edge of the desk. His golden eyes staring down into Inuyasha. "_Avoiding you_? Why on earth would I do such a thing?"

Heavy breathing escaped in soft pants from slightly parted lips, Inuyasha shifting back slightly so that his backside rested on the edge of the desk. His legs parted slightly and settled on the arms of Sesshomaru's chair.

Still sitting, the Demon Lord watched as Inuyasha's kimono hung open slightly, exposing his chest and shoulders, which he moved towards, running his mouth over suddenly heated flesh, grazing his fangs against his mate's jaw slowly. "Please…" Inuyasha managed out, Sesshomaru's ministrations ceasing briefly. "…Take me…"

The Demon Lord considered his expression briefly, before capturing his mate's lips in a searing kiss. Dragging the boy off the desk and onto his lap, he drew back to gather breath, and to meet those eyes. Ensuring that Inuyasha met his in return, the gaze forced him to understand what he'd asked for, and who was granting his request. He felt, as he pushed the light kimono free of the Half-demon's body, that Inuyasha finally comprehended that their relationship didn't revolve around intercourse (despite how much they both liked it). Regardless of all else, it had been hard enough to refuse him for this long, but to do so again, now after he'd just been begged…he felt his pent up arousal become all too evident, and he knew if he refused right now, he'd simply just die from frustration.

_But surely, if I give in now, all this effort up until now will be for nothing... I should…resist…not only to make Inuyasha realise but…to discipline my own body also… It would not be healthy for the pup to do this, we do not know if it could harm it or not…_

Crimson-lidded eyes closed as Sesshomaru felt Inuyasha press his body against his own, grinding his hips gently into his, crying out into his mouth as he did so. The Half-demon drew back, staring down at his mate with flushed cheeks and glassy eyes, feeling his dilemma through their mark.

It was no use, that was what Inuyasha's hormonal body had allowed him to realise as he helped the Demon Lord free of his clothing, lowering himself between his knees. He couldn't fight, or resist…he couldn't say no any longer. He needed _this_, and Sesshomaru right now. He would never love anyone as much as he loved Kagome, and he felt that love in him even now, but he couldn't be alone again, like he was before, he couldn't go back to being like that, to the dark that was awaiting him…

He felt Sesshomaru moving to push him back, and captured the Demon's swollen member with his mouth before he could summon the strength to resist. A shallow sigh escaped the Demon Lord's lips, clawed fingers that had shot forward to stop his brother now sifted into his hair, fondling his ears gently, as he felt that tongue steal against his organ. Saliva covered heated flesh before the younger male gripped him with his hand, pumping slowly, all the while teasing the slit with the tip of his tongue.

Suddenly Sesshomaru seized his brother's shoulders, lifting him swiftly upwards and spreading him across the cleared desk. He held that gaze carefully as he dropped open-mouthed kisses down his swollen stomach. Inuyasha tilted his head slightly to watch him, his legs resting over his mate's shoulders, pressing gently into his back as clawed fingers caressed his belly, that mouth lowering to much more forbidden places.

Dragging his mouth over hardened bulges beneath the throbbing shaft, Sesshomaru relished the delicious little sounds from the smaller body. Hot liquid dripped down the heated length and met his tongue in its trek over the skin, while that free hand still cupped him gently. After successfully biting off the claws of the hand now cupping his lover's sac, his forefinger teased around the wet entrance, slick with the inner fluids, and he pressed into entry, feeling that body under his mercy tense and push back into him. His mouth descended, taking that cock into the back of his throat, nosing into soft, silver curls, before drawing back, only to move back over him again and again.

Clawed hands gripped the edge of the desk by his head, back arching upwards, and he cried out. He felt Sesshomaru's mouth go over him, and his hands moved to scrape his claws softly over the Demon's shoulders, pulling him as far into him as he could without breaking the embrace.

That wet, delicious heat hummed around him, slender fingers moving into him at the same time, and he found high pitched little pants escaping him as he punch his hips forwards every time the Demon lord sucked gently. The devious tongue slicked up over him, devouring him slowly, almost painfully. And he cried out, spending himself into the awaiting mouth.

Licking the juices from his lips, Sesshomaru abandoned the softening organ, descending to flick his tongue against the muscles stretched around his fingers. Bringing the digits out from within the arcing little body slowly, Sesshomaru smirked as a trail of fluids followed in their wake and beginning to dribble onto the desk below, stopped only by his mouth, which darted forward to catch it on his tongue before it fell.

He glanced up, stroking that stomach gently still as he watched the Half-demon's chest heave up and down breathlessly. That skin was so beautifully flushed, long legs tried to embrace him tighter every time he drew back slightly for breath. "Such a selfish little body," Sesshomaru scolded gently, brushing his knuckles gently against the orifice before pressing three digits back inwards in mock punishment. "Desiring all my attention to yourself, all the time," he growled, the rough, purring words caressing those downy ears, and causing a flickering heat to assault the body beneath him. "Do you not realise you always have my attention, even when you are not in my company…"

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around his mate's shoulders, eyes glazed over in a delirious haze as he pulled himself up against Sesshomaru's body, and the Demon Lord fell back into the chair. Inuyasha fell into his lap, grinding gently over his own neglected erection, which throbbed in need for release. Resting his head on the Demon Lord's shoulder, Inuyasha panted heavily in his ear, leaning in to capture it in his mouth. He grazed his fangs over it gently, as he felt Sesshomaru withdraw his fingers, positioning his organ at the Half-demon's entrance.

"Lean forward," Sesshomaru breathed, coercing the Half-demon into resting completely against him, quite limp in his embrace as he pushed upwards, bringing himself down only to thrust up once more. Inuyasha cried out, so full of Sesshomaru and yet yearning for more. He dragged his fangs gently over his neck, whilst the Demon Lord leant over to do the same, latching onto the scar there and sucking gently, causing Inuyasha to shudder slightly. An involuntary quaver ran through his own body and he punched his hips upwards, relishing in the quivering legs wrapped around his own, squeezing him tighter with each lurch into that vulnerable body.

Clawed fingertips caught a rosy nub, gently rolling it until the Half-demon cried out, twisting his hips in erotic gyrations with silver hair clinging to his sweat-dampened form.

"Such a wanton display of emotion, Little brother," Sesshomaru hummed teasingly, "do you know I can _feel_ as well as see everything that's happening in this little body?"

Inuyasha swallowed hard, the arms wrapped around Sesshomaru tightening, as if to keep from falling while seductive little panting whimpers escaped him, whispering into the Demon Lord's ears.

"Do you like what I am doing to you?" Sesshomaru asked huskily, fingers massaging the neglected nipple gently, before thrusting his hips up so that Inuyasha lurched forwards enough for Sesshomaru to capture the nub in his mouth. He twisted his tongue around the stiffened peak until he could feel through their bond how sore it was about to become.

Lowering the considerably smaller frame into his lap once more, he allowed Inuyasha to fall back onto the support of his body. The wetness from Inuyasha's entrance slicked each stroke, the luscious fluids trickling down his shaft as it pounded into the warm embrace even further. Wet noises that only made him harder caused Inuyasha to blush darker, and breath heavier, to try and cover up the sounds.

A harsh pressure was building in his belly and Inuyasha rubbed his stomach against Sesshomaru's with each movement, for what reason he did not know. He leant backwards, hands still gripping his brother's shoulders as he met his eyes at last, sensing speech about to come from his mouth.

"Answer my question," the Demon demanded. Inuyasha gathered his breath, never tearing his eyes away.  
"Yeah…" he answered, his voice hoarse from screaming. Sesshomaru permitted a smirk to grace his features, his arm – the very arm that Inuyasha had once severed from his body – came about to sweep the silver hair up off of that sweaty back, and push rebellious bangs back away from the Half-demon's eyes that glistened with passion.

"How do you feel?" Sesshomaru asked, knowing full well what the answer was, but relished in the sound of Inuyasha's voice exhausted from screaming his ecstasy to the room.  
"Hot…" Inuyasha replied, voice shaking slightly. Realising his brother was no longer moving, he gripped his shoulders carefully and moved himself into riding slender thighs. Circling his hips with each connection of their bodies, he allowed gravity to bring him back down each time he rose back up, the smouldering cavern leaking liquid fire into his mate's lap. His insides clenched greedily around the pulsing erection, as if daring Sesshomaru to release inside him.

The bodies rocked against each other, tensing at the approaching release. Inuyasha felt his brother begin to lift into his downward thrusts, and Sesshomaru, he could not tear his eyes away. The Half-demon held his gaze even now, the request clearly within them… _"Kiss me…"_

He wasn't sure if he'd heard Inuyasha say it aloud or if he'd imagined it, but regardless, he complied. Mouths, tongues melted together, and a final jolt into the body above him, sent him over the edge.

Feeling the Demon emptying into him, Inuyasha leant back, still moving towards gravity as it dragged him down, permitting his second release. His own climax seeped down the erection still blocking its complete exit, the organ now softening inside him.

Falling forward into Sesshomaru's chest, his eyes slanted closed lazily. He could vaguely make out a soft petting of his ears, another hand lacing into silvery locks and running gently down his spine. Sesshomaru may not love him, but he certainly played up to the idea during these times.

An exhausted sigh breathed against Sesshomaru's chest, and Inuyasha didn't attempt to move, merely tilted his head up to rest under that chin when he felt the Demon Lord's ministrations ceasing. The Half-demon's body relaxed into the empowering embrace as the delicate touches continued across soft hair and supple skin. And then, a small, dull thud punched against the Demon Lord's stomach – from inside Inuyasha. Both sets of golden eyes opened, widening.

The Half-demon leant back slightly, Sesshomaru's arm around the small of his back to keep him from falling off. With his hand gliding over his stomach, Inuyasha stared down at it, as if he could not believe it.  
"Was that…?" Sesshomaru began, though Inuyasha nodded before he'd finished. The Demon's own, slender fingers moved alongside Inuyasha's, tracing the life within, a small smile flickering at the corners of his mouth.

A further soft thump against Inuyasha's stomach caused the briefest of smiles to meet Sesshomaru's features, though the Half-demon noticed it before it had fully disappeared. "Holy crap, the guy can smile," he said softly, causing his brother to meet his eyes. "I think that's the closest to excitement you've ever come ain't it?"

Sesshomaru said nothing, merely forced back the treacherous smile. He pressured his sibling's lower back gently until he fell against his chest once more, while Inuyasha never failed to notice the way his older brother's hand would slide across his stomach every now and then, to see if there was any further movement inside.

Wouldn't Inuyasha have been surprised to find just how confused Sesshomaru was about everything. The Demon was every bit as unsure and hesitant about it all as he was, though he portrayed it differently, or more accurately didn't portray it at all. Affection, love…things he both misunderstood and feared. Everyone around him that had ever perished, had perished as a result of loving someone else.

This immortal, selfless emotion required an inevitable sacrifice it seemed, his mother, his father, Inuyasha's mother, Rin's parents, and so many more had withered and died in the name of that emotion… _'Love'_, to him it was just another word for death… And they gave it such a pretty name, when all it did was kill every life that touched it. Love, he wasn't ready for it, he didn't believe it existed at all, at least not the way Inuyasha seemed to.

Just where did Inuyasha think loving those priestesses would get him? Because nowhere was where he ended up. _Because that's what happens_, Sesshomaru thought, _you open your heart, and you end up alone, that is all… That kind of agony is beneath me…_

He would not permit himself to be smitten, to be used, hurt or abandoned in the darkness by a half-demon. He tried so hard to keep everyone out, and yet somehow, so many had snuck in… Takara, Nannami, Rin…

_Rin_, he thought. She would eventually grow old – how disturbingly heart-wrenching would it be to see her wither into old age while he remained young? It didn't bear thinking about. It would surely tear him apart… Losing his 'daughter' to something as pitiful as old-age, whilst he would remain young forever. This, along with so many things was a further, unavoidable consequence of allowing himself to love… And Inuyasha? How could he open his heart to that boy, whilst knowing that if the priestess were to walk through that door, Inuyasha would return to her, despite what he now had here..

Then, suddenly, a horrifying thought came to mind. Their bond! Inuyasha could sense everything he was now feeling and he could tell as soon as he met those eyes he would be questioned on it. But his fears were needless, he realised, upon staring down into the face of his Little brother – the half-demon was quite asleep.

A sigh of relief practically gushed past his lips, and he gathered Inuyasha in his arms, moving across the room to carefully lay him on the daybed that sat at the fireside.

* * *

The Half-demon knew before his eyes had even opened that he was not in his bed upon waking. Sleepy, golden orbs shot open, quite alert at the scenery change, and he sat up, staring down at his lap as he felt something slide off him. A frown creased his brow as the sight of his brother's kimono met his gaze. Sesshomaru had covered him up?

"You slept through breakfast."

Inuyasha turned towards his brother's voice, finding him at his desk across the room, the papers he so vividly recalled pushing to the floor all neatly arranged once more. He flushed slightly at the memory of his reckless mood swing…

"I was about to wake you for lunch. You need something in that rebellious stomach of yours," Sesshomaru continued. Inuyasha forced a smirk, sliding his arms into his brother's hitoe, and holding it closed around him. The material hung above his knees, brushing against supple skin sleekly as he moved towards the desk and paused before it.

After a silent moment passed between them, Sesshomaru looked up from the paper he was reading through, studying his brother's guilty expression closely. "Is something the matter?" he asked. Inuyasha looked awkward, clawed fingers toying with the far too lengthy kimono sleeves.  
"I…er…I'm sorry, for messing up your work…" the younger male murmured meekly to the floor. Sesshomaru gazed blankly at the day's work briefly, before looking to Inuyasha once more.  
"It is not unforgivable. Takara assisted me in reorganising them, however I would rather you not do it again. It would be inadvisable for your backside to take any further punishment." There was a devilish glint in Sesshomaru's eyes as he said this, and Inuyasha scowled in response, though admittedly, only half-heartedly.

"The latter of your mood-swing was much more appealing. However, I forgive you in advance of any further violent ones."

Inuyasha pulled the kimono a little tighter around him. "It's your fault anyway – only right you pay for some of this… I don't _like_ being an ass to everyone ya know."

The Demon Lord gathered himself to his feet, Inuyasha only just noting that his brother was re-dressed in other clothing. "Indeed?" Sesshomaru asked with mock surprise. "I imagined with so many years of practice you would have warmed to the idea."  
"Asshole…"  
"Gratuitous cursing only causes everyone around you to realise just how young you truly are, Little Brother."  
"Whereas you're just an old pervert-" he was cut off by the hand that snatched his wrist suddenly, a stoic gaze bearing down into his own.  
"Let go of me," he ordered. For a brief moment, Sesshomaru remained unmoved, and then, with the slightest flicker of amusement gracing his features, he released his hold on him. "You've got a sick sense of humour," Inuyasha muttered, stepping back a little, "I preferred it when you didn't have one at all…"

TBC


	17. But Through My Tears

Author's Note:  
Two chapters in one day again, greedy greedy viewers ;) Thanks to all the reviewers so far by the way for commenting! Enjoy and review please!

**Chapter Seventeen  
But Through My Tears**

Inuyasha's heels kicked against the side of the desk lightly as he surveyed the items piled neatly on the tabletop beside him. He was following (what had become) the usual routine of casual speech and company whilst Sesshomaru dealt with the papers that had been building up lately with the approaching season – _mating season_ or as human's might call it – _summer._

It had been easier than he'd first thought to be in his brother's company all-but every waking moment, but now (thanks to his pregnancy) the few scarce moments where solitude was unavoidable, were plagued with loneliness and a yearning he didn't quite understand nor care for. Being his older brother's lapdog wasn't something his mortal blood took kindly too, however much his demonic side craved it.

_'Demon Inuyasha'_ desired to be dominated and controlled by a being more powerful in every possible way, whilst the human nature wished to be loved and respected, considered equal…three very impossible things to have from _this_ Demon Lord. Still, it was this or nothing, and he had decided on that night that seemed so very long ago, (but in reality what was barely over a month) that he didn't want to be alone again.

After this feigned comfort and care, after this comparably blissful life where he wouldn't have to struggle to merely draw breath, he could not return to the darkness. It had become to painfully obvious as he had laid under those stars with his brother, (and his _then_ unknown pup) in the place where his father had laid with both his mates and his son centuries before. He'd suffer whatever it took to stay, and besides which, he had this pup to consider now, and regardless of the fact that Sesshomaru would consider him about as useful as Jaken after this was all over, he couldn't take his pup into that cruel, unforgiving world, and would _not_ leave it behind.

In short, he was coming to accept the inevitability of his new life. And at times like this, where Sesshomaru could almost make him believe he was loved in the way he desired, it was almost possible to forget Kagome, his feelings for her, and the hurt that accompanied them…

"How can the work keep building up if you're _always_ in here?" Inuyasha asked distantly, golden orbs gazing out of the window upon the derelict courtyard below, a garden obviously forsaken in favour of the many others. There wasn't enough people to _want_ to enjoy that many gardens, nevertheless, the dead space looked sad, reminding him painfully of his inner self – the place where _'she'_ had once been.

_When had it got so painful to even think her name?_ He thought, becoming distant until Sesshomaru's reply called him back into the room. "There are a lot of things to take care of during summer," the Demon answered. "It is the busiest time of year, and I do not particularly wish to deal with it all whilst suffering the inner inferno of my heat, Little Brother."

Inuyasha paused, cocking his head to the side to look at his brother with confused eyes, to which Sesshomaru smirked."You do not mean to say you have never experienced 'heat' before?" the older brother asked, almost amused. Inuyasha scowled.  
"Of course I have! If I hadn't I wouldn't be able to bleed monthly would I? I just…I didn't know that…" he flushed, gaze dancing away from his brother awkwardly, "I didn't know guys went through heat – you know, _normal_ guy demons I mean."

Sesshomaru sighed, the soft utterance causing his brother's gaze to snap back to him quickly. "A Male demon's heat occurs because he feels as if he needs to rut with the fertile females surrounding – but by then, I will be mated to you, so my body will only want to rut with you."

Inuyasha frowned once more, turning slightly, careful not to push over the stacks of paper beside him.  
"But…heat happens because one of the couple needs to get the other pregnant – I'm already pregnant," he reminded his brother needlessly. Sesshomaru leant back into his chair, eyes locking with his sibling's.  
"Indeed, but my body cannot tell that, can it? It does not change in any way whilst you carry. You will not suffer heat whilst you are pregnant, though I will."

Inuyasha seemed to comprehend what had been said, and gathered himself to his feet slowly, hands brushing unconsciously over the now visible bulge that was growing too fast for his liking. His skin pinched a little more each day as the pup grew, not used to stretching to this limit – and he was not even _half_ as big as he would be yet. It felt too tight – _cramped_ inside and out, and though Takara promised to concoct something to ease these particular ailments, he had yet to see any sign of them. The bath oils helped. His whole body felt relief whilst in the water – so much so that he bathed as often as possible, and the thought of one at that moment seemed almost irresistible…

"Why is this garden so crappy looking?" The Half-demon asked bluntly, trying to distract himself from the discomfort.  
"Once again, well expressed, Little Brother," Sesshomaru answered, standing and moving over to his sibling's side. Pressing into that slighter frame gently, he followed that gaze out of the window. "It would simply be needless to have it cared for. Rin already has three different courtyards and gardens to play in, and I have no desire to frolic in such an inadequate space."

Inuyasha snorted at the large courtyard about as big as half of Kaede's village that Sesshomaru had deemed 'inadequate'.

At the suddenly sullen expression upon Inuyasha, a smirk crept across Sesshomaru's lips, arms enveloping the swollen body and fondling that stomach carefully. The Half-demon gasped slightly at the cold holds intruding inside his kimono, and he held back a shudder.  
"Apparently _you_ wish to frolic, Little Brother?" Sesshomaru said blankly, though blatantly teasing, causing Inuyasha to bear that scowl once more.  
"Asshole!" He growled through clenched teeth, "It just looks depressing is all. And since you spent so much time in here I wondered why your holy ass didn't want something to look out on."  
"Because as you have already stated, I am in here often, and that is for one purpose – to work, not sight-see."

Inuyasha shrugged off his brother's attentions then, the seemingly soft little growl emanating from him being all that the Demon Lord required to know Inuyasha didn't want to be touched any longer. Physical embraces (whether sexual or not) were dependant on Inuyasha's mood. He could be begging and craving it one moment, then brushing it off and pushing him away the next. He was a fickle creature, his little brother, but he supposed as they had agreed to try and disregard each other's faults and appreciate their good qualities, he should at least attempt to ignore it.

_Regardless, Takara advised not to stress or upset Inuyasha, and pointing out his faults would most definitely stir up a needles ruckus…_

"I assume you are prepared for tonight, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked as carefully as possible, continuing to move swiftly through the morning's work. Inuyasha sighed heavily, pausing before the grand bookcase to one side of the room and staring up at the cramped, floor-to-ceiling shelves distantly.  
"Yeah…"  
"Do you even recall what tonight is?" Sesshomaru asked impassively.  
"Blessing ceremony," Inuyasha answered as if the fact did not affect him. Despite this, the myriad of emotions that totally contradicted the outer-Inuyasha right now, came through all-too clear to Sesshomaru, who realised now that Inuyasha had no idea what the ritual entailed, or much else for that matter. Anxiety coursed through the half-demon body so ferociously Sesshomaru wondered how at least a little did not show.

"It will be fine, Inuyasha," he offered after a thoughtful silence, "I would not put you in any danger, I assure you." The answering, far-too audible 'keh' proved Inuyasha's lack of trust in him. Sesshomaru struggled not to frown. "Then be assured that (despite your lack of faith in me) I would not do so _currently_ as it would also endanger my pup. Your anxiety is needless-"  
"-Whose anxiety?" Inuyasha snapped, twirling to face him. "I'm not worried I just wish it'd be _over_ with already," he lied. Sesshomaru found that smirk gracing his features once more – more often than usual as of late.  
"So desperate to be completely mine, Little Brother?" the Demon asked. Inuyasha flushed, the embarrassment a much more appealing look to his complexion than anger, though that was interesting too. Most emotions were enticing on Inuyasha, and that was a strange thought to Sesshomaru.

"Ayane has hand-made both our garments for the occasion. I expect she has paid particular attention to yours, Inuyasha." His tone was as close to teasing as the Demon Lord got, and it roused a flicker of confusion in his brother, who did not understand the implications behind that statement.  
"Yeah, 'cause otherwise you'll kill her," Inuyasha shrugged. Sesshomaru's smirk did not falter.  
"Not exactly. I believe that it is your approval she desires..."

Again that tone confused him, until it got to the point where his face flared with colour in awkwardness at not knowing what he was being teased for. "What're you on about?" he snapped.  
"She is infatuated with you." If a darker red than his kimono was possible, that was the colour of Inuyasha's now enflamed cheeks. He did not handle female attention well at all…

"W-What?" he stammered, suddenly recalling the girlish giggles the girl and her sister had offered, and the looks she had given him, not scornful or loathing, but _different_ somehow… It all became painfully clear to him then, what Sesshomaru seemed to have known all along – this girl had a crush on him. "She's too young…"  
"She is older than you, Inuyasha."  
"I'm too young too!" Inuyasha argued, shouting to try and hide his embarrassment. "We've been over this; you're an old fart who's so past it he can only get off by diddling little boys!"

Sesshomaru would have laughed – but he didn't, Inuyasha could be quite creative in his anger. "As entertaining as this priggishness is," the Demon replied in amusement, "you should cease in favour of taming that rebellious mane of yours, Little brother. It will take at least an hour to comb, and Ayane will arrive shortly with your clothing."

Inuyasha growled lowly, he hated brushing his hair. Granted it felt nice when it was done, and sometimes Sesshomaru managed to make it quite therapeutic, but nevertheless, a brushing by his own hand was darn right _painful_. His impatience made each stroke agony!

_Dragging it like that can't be good for it,_ Inuyasha thought, growling as Sesshomaru uttered something that sounded painfully like "make sure you are presentable for Miss Ayane's wandering eyes…"

It was that very last comment that caused Inuyasha to growl before storming from the study and into their chambers. Brushing his hair could wait, he decided, a bath was no longer simply desirable, it was _necessary_! His back throbbed from the pressure and his stomach pinched. Stretch marks were starting to brew and he felt each new pain strip away a little more of his manhood each time.

He didn't feel like a boy anymore, and having his brother call him and his body 'little' every time he spoke to him did not help. He'd seen Kagome (and unfortunately Sango) naked, and he in _no_ way looked like a girl – apart from some more obvious features (or lack thereof) he _had_ muscles, granted little fat and hairless skin that could rival _any_ woman's but having his body treated like a girl's wasn't as much of a turn-on as Sesshomaru seemed to think.

_Asshole,_ Inuyasha thought, not for the first nor last time as he leant over the large sunken tub that he'd finally finished drawing for himself. The scent of the oils seemed to hum as the steam brushed against his skin. It was hot, and his toes recoiled a little at the initial touch but it wasn't scalding, and he adjusted quickly as he lowered himself into the water slowly. As his feet touched bottom, and he stood with only the waist-down submerged, dizziness overcame him.

His legs trembled, threatening to give way and his vision whirled, not helped by the steam. His hands snagged the side of the bath and he hauled himself up onto the edge of the bath once more, steadying his arms against the sides to make sure he didn't fall forward into the water. His legs dangled uselessly into it as he gasped for breath, fighting to get his vision back.

_That was bad,_ he thought. _I never…I never had one of those dizzy spells in the bath before. I guess all this worry about the ceremony and the steam just made me a little…_

But he didn't finish. The room revolved again. His hand clasped to his eyes, and he rubbed them carefully, trying to stop the spinning. The one arm left supporting him trembled, giving way as the heat and steam assaulted his body. And then, unconsciousness seized him as he fell face-forward into the heated water.

Unaware of anything the water clogged his ability to breathe, he was choking, he was drowning – he was _dying_ and he didn't even realise. He didn't feel lengthy silver locks splaying about him in the water, didn't notice water stinging his eyes, swimming into his mouth, ears and nose. He didn't feel two arms encircling him and hauling him onto the floor, into a warm chest, and jostling him insistently until water spurted from his parted lips with violent coughing. His eyes flickered open. He blinked in blind panic and confusion as his body convulsed, angry words assaulting his ears, and as reality crept back towards him, he began to make sense of them.

"…Did you care? You little fool! If I had not come when I did you would have died along with the pup and it would have all been down to your lack of patience. You know not to overexert your body!"

Inuyasha shook his head slowly. He couldn't form words. The room was still spinning, clawed hands clutched at Sesshomaru as he felt a towel thrown round him, haphazardly. He groaned when he felt Sesshomaru try to move him away from the water, which (though it had nearly killed him) promised to alleviate the aches that had spread _everywhere_. Even his head throbbed painfully now, and he grazed his claws into his brother's shoulders roughly as he forced out words.

"I…I was only trying to…the water gets rid of the pains is all…"  
"Takara brought you something; if you had waited I could have told you that. Now come!" The Demon still sounded angry. Inuyasha could not help flinching as he was lifted, carried into the next room and rested onto the bed.

"I will have the servants help you dress in case it happens again. Nannami and a few others should do…" The words of the older sibling were more to himself than Inuyasha, but they disturbed the Half-demon in any case.  
"What? Why can't you just-"  
"-Ridiculous tradition," Sesshomaru cut across him, his voice a little softer at the notion of his brother not wanting to be touched by anyone else – for whatever reasons. "Rather like that mortal marriage foolishness. I may not see you in your attire until the ceremony. Nannami can be trusted. I do not think she will rape you."

Inuyasha frowned at the repetition of that teasing. "But I really don't-"  
"-Enough," Sesshomaru cut across him testily. "I will apply the salve for you, but then I will send for Nannami. I must be readying myself also, Little Brother."

Inuyasha said nothing, his head resting back into the pillows tiredly, the towel assuring his damp hair didn't soak through to the sheets. The disorientating dizziness had ceased, though still he merely lay back, watching carefully as clawed fingers (not his own) dipped into a honey-coloured fluids, cupping the liquid carefully before dropping it onto his stomach. He flinched at the coldness, though quickly realised he had actually groaned out loud in relief when those hands smoothed the pain-relief over his abused flesh.

The Half-demon had tried to keep his 'sore parts' hidden, but as time drew on _every_ bit was affected by this pregnancy, so it was impossible to hide it all. Lately even his nipples and genitals had become swollen. He may enjoy being the centre of Sesshomaru's attention morning, noon and night, but he certainly didn't like pregnancy very much at all. _No wonder women are such grouches, they never get the good end of the deal,_ he thought distantly.

"Is that better?" Sesshomaru asked, the words practically a purr, the soft intonation causing those furry ears to slick back into damp silver hair as those cheeks cheeks flushed. The Demon smiled down at him, golden eyes surprisingly sympathetic. "Where else does it sting?" When no answer came Sesshomaru sat back slightly examining his brother's nude body from a small distance. It was hard to tell which parts demanded more attention, but harder to tell whether his brother's genitals were swollen because of his growing erection or because of the general soreness.

"I am afraid you will have to wait for sexual gratification, Little Brother," Sesshomaru said with a smirk, allowing the salve to smooth over sore nether-regions with barely-there touches that sent little thrills up Inuyasha's spine. More for the benefit of his self-control than anything else, the older brother hastily finished with 'that' part. Forcing Inuyasha into a seating position he turned him to face away so that he may tend to the boy's pained back next, avoiding further contact with that now burgeoning arousal, (perhaps even permit the Half-demon to deal with it himself quickly without his aid).

"I really don't want those girls to see my naked parts," Inuyasha said suddenly, surprising Sesshomaru slightly.  
"They are servants. Their views are unimportant. Only my view of your body should matter," the Demon Lord insisted, but Inuyasha fought back his unease. It took a lot to not flinch when Sesshomaru looked at him, but to have a bunch of disapproving, spiteful demonesses surrounding him…

"They're still people. I…I really can't. Let me dress myself?" Inuyasha asked, his voice gruff but the emotion behind it leaking into his voice slightly. He felt sick at the thought; bile crept up his throat in anticipation of it. The knots were worked out of his shoulders and back, but the new inner pain was brewing, and that agony was ten times worse because no salve or oil could soothe it.

"Do not insist on being so ridiculous, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said at last, gathering himself to his feet. "It will be over before you know it. You have no need to fear others' scorn of your body, I assure you." Making his way over to the door, he tried to ignore the myriad of emotions bombarding him through his mark. He felt Inuyasha's body tense as his hand met the door handle, and the sight of those eyes, wide and silently begging haunted him all the way into the hall.

_I must not…_ Sesshomaru urged himself as he continued down the hall, _to turn to him now, to embrace him even when I __**want**__ to…it would be expressing weakness… To open wide enough to let him in would be disastrous, to both of us… 'Love' does nothing but tear, and burn and kill, until there is nothing left… It is best to keep things as they are now, simple, selfish, safe…_

Some time passed before Inuyasha could manage movement. Tears threatened to spill at the inevitability of it. To be so open, and vulnerable to people was the worst thing in his mind. Why didn't Sesshomaru understand? He could feel his emotions so why couldn't he feel his all-too mortal discomfort of this? Thoughts slammed to a standstill as a soft knocking sounded. He did not need to ask who it was, the scent of that little girl he was coming to adore far too much for his own good flowed into the room. Seizing a sleeping yukata off the side, he dressed himself haphazardly before permitting her to enter.

"Lord Inuyasha," she squeaked happily, closing the door behind her as she approached him. "Nannami-sensei said I could come see you if I promised to be good."

Inuyasha smiled despite himself, plucking a brush off the side, wincing as he began forcing it through lengthy locks. "You are doing it wrong, Lord Inuyasha," the human offered, moving forwards, her hand outstretched very carefully, as if afraid of touching him without permission.

Such consideration for his wants softened wary eyes slightly, and Inuyasha gave her the brush, lowering himself onto the end of the end of the bed. A strange sort of warmth tugged at his heart as he watched her scramble onto it behind him. She steadied herself up on her knees to see the top of his head as she captured the rogue ends of silvery hair, stopping it from tugging as she tackled the knots entangling the lower parts of his hair first, working her way up.

"Better not feel no tugging back there," Inuyasha muttered, as threateningly as he could manage, though the girl's smile never faltered.  
"Do not worry, My Lord. Lord Sesshomaru allows me to braid his hair at times, so I know how to be gentle with it," she explained. Inuyasha gnawed his lip, attempting to stifle his snigger at 'Lord High-and-mighty' permitting a small human child to play with his hair. However a familiar, hurtful ping struck his chest at the recurring thought, that Sesshomaru seemed to show this girl more care than him.

_Why? I've done everything he wanted…why can't he let me in, even a little? He doesn't have to love me like a mate – I wouldn't desire that knowing that I could never love him that way. But…even without the pup, and the mark…I'm still his brother…why can't he love me like that, if he can love Rin as a daughter…?_

His thoughtfulness ceased when he realised the girl was still talking, his ears pricking slightly as if to illustrate the fact that he was still listening. "…and Nannami says I _have_ been doing well in my lessons. She told me to work hard to please you and Lord Sesshomaru. Then when the baby is born, perhaps you will let me help?" At that they both stopped. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. So this was what her true intentions were? He shook his head lightly. He'd _thought_ her reaction to his pregnancy was a bit of a disappointment considering it was her. _Her eyes did grow to like twice the size of her head though,_ he thought with mild amusement evident on his features.

"Rin," he sighed, gathering himself to his feet before turning to face her. "Just say what you came here to say. From your 'tactful' approach I guess this is about the pup?"

The girl said nothing, though she sat up a little straighter, eyes widening. "I merely…that is… I have been sure to behave, and to work very hard. I am trying very hard to make sure…"

Inuyasha frowned at her suddenly melancholy expression, those dark, mortal eyes lowering to the bedding awkwardly. "What?" The Half-demon asked, refraining from leaning down to offer some form of comfort. "_Make sure_ what?"  
"Make sure that, you don't leave…"

Inuyasha stepped back, regarding her with a puzzled look. He realised that there was always the possibility that this girl (now that he was Sesshomaru's mate) would perhaps come to think of him as a parent figure – what he hadn't realised was just how soon that would be. _She doesn't want me to go? She wants me to stay?_

Another sigh escaped his lips, the Half-demon scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "Rin, about that…" he trailed off thoughtfully, considering his next words, unintentionally allowing the girl to dwell momentarily over the first time he'd called her by her name. "You've studied demonology. So you know what this pup – and the ceremony tonight means?" he watched as she nodded in answer before he continued. "Well then, you know that I couldn't leave in any case."  
"Yes, but Lord Sesshomaru sometimes has a habit of not being able to express what he feels," she replied. Inuyasha shook his head disbelievingly, though remained silent so that Rin might continue. "And also…Lady Kagome – I thought you liked her – the same way my parents liked each other, and the way that Lord Sesshomaru likes you."  
"Keh, well I don't know about that last one, but…yeah, I… Kagome was important to me-"  
"-Then, if Kagome came back, you would leave us?" she asked, as if afraid of the answer. The statement shocked him, so much so that he struggled to reply.  
"Kagome won't come back – she can't… I won't take the pup away from the castle, to have it suffer the way I did, and I'm sure as hell not leaving it either. So…I guess you don't have to worry – I'm staying."

The Human's face brightened. He could tell he'd quashed her fears, though could also see further questions brewing behind hazel eyes. "May I, touch it?" she requested innocently. At the brazen question, Inuyasha flushed a little in embarrassment. He didn't like people touching him a whole lot, especially his very vulnerable stomach, but it was only Rin, and when faced with those eyes that had (yet again) grown to almost impossible size, he found it was very hard to refuse her.

With a small nod of ascent, Rin moved towards the end of the bed, kneeling on the very edge, arm outstretched hesitantly. He grabbed her hand roughly (trying to cover up his initial embarrassment) and held it over his stomach where she would have more chance of feeling movement. A strange myriad of emotions flittered across her features – all positive, though too many to name. Inuyasha shifted her hand carefully, trying to coerce the pup into movement. _Come on ya little monster,_ he thought, _you're such a busy little brat and the one time I want you to move you're being lazy…_

As if the pup had heard his thoughts, a small, dull movement nudged against Rin's hand, causing her lips to curve into a sweet smile, which in turn, earned a small smile from Inuyasha as well. "When it is born, perhaps I could hold it?" she asked. Inuyasha shrugged.  
"Yeah, so long as you don't drop it."  
"I won't!" She gasped, very seriously, "I _swear_ I won't!" There was a small pause before she continued. "And perhaps…I could be its big sister?" That question in particular remained unanswered, a momentary pause coming between the two as knocking sounded at the door once more, a familiar female voice coming from the hall beyond.

"Lord Inuyasha? We are here to get you ready for the ceremony; the guests have already begun to arrive."

Inuyasha tensed at the words Nannami's voice delivered, and as Rin's hand dropped from his grip, he found his misery seizing him once more, wishing for nothing other than for the earth to open and swallow him whole.  
"Come in," he said begrudgingly, when he thought he could delay it no longer. "Rin, you better be going." She nodded, hopping down from the bed. Happily skipping from the room, she gave a small curtsy in his direction and manoeuvred round Nannami and the two demonesses in the doorway and out of sight.

"She seems joyful," Nannami noted as she stepped forward, the other servants closing the door behind them and following her in. "Nevertheless, we had best get down to it. We have the kimono Ayane made for you, Lord Inuyasha," she said, one of the demonesses setting it on the end of the bed, smoothing out the creases from the silk as the others advanced towards him.

He felt his body tighten. His fangs dug into his lip as ears slicked back into his hair to avoid being tweaked, pinched or screamed into, every inch of him apprehensive of what was to come, and dreading it more than anything.

Judgemental hands came to rest at his shoulders; he flinched as they tried to draw the yukata off his shoulders. "What is wrong with you, Sire?" the first demoness asked, Nannami having disappeared from the room briefly to fetch some serum for his hair.  
"Nothing…" he lied.  
"Nonsense. I can sense your unease," she said stiffly, regarding him with an oddly derisive look.

"I have seen worse things than a half-demon's body, believe it or not. And though Lord Sesshomaru may approve of it..." she punctuated her words by yanking the clothing from him roughly, leaving him quite vulnerable, and naked under their hurtful gazes. "Indeed, I can see he appreciates it." The eyes of the female and her companions travelled over the painfully stretched flesh, littered with pinkish bruising where Sesshomaru's mouth had left soft bites. Inuyasha's arms came about him awkwardly, not sure what he wanted to cover most. He felt his unease swell into bitter hurt, the emotion biting into his chest as tears pricked at the backs of his eyes that he was determined not to allow.

"Arms out," the second barked, the harsh, hurtful whispers of the others all-too loud to escape his hearing.  
"…why would a demon lord as powerful and beautiful as Lord Sesshomaru desire to bed a half-demon? His father's own mistake at that…?"  
"…with his body torn from pregnancy? It is down right despicable…"  
"…A mongrel gifted with a _normal_ looking body as his only good trait… So unkempt and brash… He's worth little more than a chamber servant…"  
"Perhaps that _is_ his purpose..."

Inuyasha gnawed his lip, defiant to hold back the inevitable tide of tears. Rough claws scraped more than occasionally as they dressed him in the 'under' kimono, crisp white silk looking unsettling against his dirty "half-breed skin". His toes gripped the carpet, desperate to flee from the situation, but he couldn't. He felt that trapped feeling encircle him the way these bitches did, suffocating him as the uncomfortable weight that accompanied it settled in his chest. It felt like choking on thin air, and there was no way out.

Golden eyes closed against the spiteful words, though the voices could not be drowned out. The misery within swirled; only praying that it would end. He knew that Sesshomaru must be feeling his emotions, and the only reason for him not coming to stop whatever was happening, was that he couldn't care less…

"Ladies!" The new, cheerful voice shocked Inuyasha's eyes into opening, the golden pools glistening with unshed tears. The women's attention stopped, and they too looked to Takara, who was now approaching from the doorway. Inuyasha felt the weight in his stomach shift at the sight of him. A warm smile was offered, and he returned it feebly. Had Nannami gone to fetch him? That was the only logical explanation. "Could you leave us for the moment? Wait outside please?" the Healer requested, though there was no room for refusal. The Demonesses bowed, before departing, closing the door behind them. And Inuyasha crumbled.

Takara moved towards him as Inuyasha sank down onto the end of the bed. He watched that body hunch forwards, curled in on itself with his hair hanging limply around his face in a silver curtain. Grating, hoarse cries were barely stifled by the Half-demon's hands as the servant risked speech. "Lord Inuyasha, I-"  
"-Tell Sesshomaru I can't do this…" the young lord breathed. Takara paused not a few scarce inches from him, kneeling down to his level.  
"Young Sire?"  
"STOP CALLING ME THAT! I'm not a lord – I'm not his mate or his brother – I'm just a _thing_, and I don't want to do this anymore… If I could tear off this skin and start again I would but I _can't_!" As Inuyasha sank further into himself, a fresh, unnerving surge of fury coursed through Inuyasha from his mark, and his watery gaze snapped up to Takara. "Sesshomaru's angry."

Before Takara could respond the walls erupted with muffled yells, cries sounding in the background. Inuyasha flinched as Takara seized the blanket, drawing it round his half-demon body until it covered all else but his head. The material hung limply from his shoulders even as the door swung open, a livid Demon Lord making his way into the room.

"Takara, wait outside," Sesshomaru demanded. The Servant nodded politely, before silently ambling from the room, door closing behind him. A pregnant silence followed, rapid breaths from Sesshomaru the only thing to disturb the stillness. Unsure trepidation throbbed through the Half-demon's veins as he awaited Sesshomaru's speech with anxious breaths.

"I would know what was said to cause such misery, Little Brother."  
"Like you care…"

Suddenly Sesshomaru leapt forwards, capturing his shoulders roughly. "I do not care to suffer your emotions, Inuyasha," he growled, "I care because all this upset is hurtful to the-"  
"-The pup I know!" Inuyasha cut across him. "I'm sick of hearing it. I can't do this! I can't be your mate!" he spat. Sesshomaru frowned, strangely evident flickers of hurt playing across his features, but Inuyasha ploughed obliviously. "Don't you see? We don't fit! You're this all-powerful, all-superior demon lord and I'm just a _'mangy half-breed'_!"  
"They were angry words that do not express my current opinion. You will tell me who said that to you-"  
"-Why?" Inuyasha all-but screamed, "It's the truth!"  
"Because you _are_ a Lord, you are my mate, my brother, and you will be treated with respect or else there will be unfortunate consequences. To insult you despite this is to insult me – I will not stand for it."

A seemingly long silence fell. Inuyasha tightened his nervous grip on the sheet surrounding him, and Sesshomaru knelt at his feet in order to capture his gaze. Pulling a smaller, clawed hand into his, Sesshomaru traced the callous palms with his own. "Your hands are rough," the Demon said, an unfamiliar softness to his voice. "You should use some of my lotions to soften your skin."

Inuyasha smirked. "Keh, brilliant attention span," he growled softly, a blush riding his cheeks as the older sibling failed to release his hand.

"I do not want our pup born into a world where you are unhappy," Sesshomaru said carefully. But Inuyasha frowned, snatching his hand away.  
"_Pup, Pup, PUP_! That's all I hear from you – aren't I in the least bit significant?"

Suddenly Sesshomaru darted forwards, Inuyasha yelping as clawed hands slammed onto either side of him on the bed. Hot breath steamed over him as those parted lips paused not a hairsbreadth from his own.  
"Use your limited intelligence to look over what I have said, Little Brother," Sesshomaru growled dangerously, "Perhaps it will lead you to the _correct_ conclusion for once."

Inuyasha's mouth opened and closed soundlessly a few times, the Half-demon contemplating his words. Did he mean what he thought he meant? _"I do not want our pup born into a world where you are unhappy."_ The younger brother growled softly in irritation at the difficulty of deciphering his brother's intense code. _It's like reading a book backwards, whilst upside down, whilst swimming,_ Inuyasha thought through the frustration.

_'I do not want you to be unhappy…'_ Was that what he'd meant? _Keh, tough chance, he doesn't give a crap about me…_

But no sooner had the thought reached him, than his logical mind returned to that gaze which pressed against him so heavily, along with heated skin and breath that caused his face to flush.

_Is it even possible for Sesshomaru to be anything other than selfish?_ He wondered silently, before all conscious thought was cut off by warm lips pressing against his own. His eyes closed as he leant forwards, only partially aware of his movement from the bed to his brother's chest, the both of them slanting together as he found himself sliding to the floor.

"You are mine," Sesshomaru purred, "finalising our union is inevitable, you do not have a choice in the matter…"

Inuyasha's tongue darted out, swiping across his lips awkwardly as he tried to find anything but Sesshomaru, though whilst practically in the Demon Lord's lap, it was hard to find anything else.  
"So I'm an object now?" he asked blankly. Clawed fingers smoothed his tendrils of hair back softly, considering his expression momentarily before responding.  
"It bothers you? Most people would consider it a complement to be called my possession."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he sat up awkwardly. "Yeah, well I'm not most people," he replied with a slight smirk, swatting away his brother's unnecessary aid as he stood slowly (and with great difficulty).

"Do you believe you are up to dressing yourself?" The Demon Lord asked after a short silence, though his only answer from Inuyasha was a frown. "Takara will be up shortly to escort you downstairs to the ceremony – I expect you to be ready by then."

Inuyasha muttered something that sounded horribly like swearing, before nodding tiredly.

"Indeed," Sesshomaru replied to his obscenities, "I will see you shortly."

The Half-demon rolled his eyes as his brother made his way over to the door, turning to speak once more. "I am glad to see that you have tamed that rebellious hair of yours also."

Suddenly a devious smirk crept across Inuyasha's features. "Funny thing about that – Rin did it for me. She told me you let her play with _your_ hair too."

If Sesshomaru ever ceased holding up his cold exterior, the mortification and being discovered would have shown through just then. "Indeed, I will see you downstairs," The Demon Lord said, closing the door behind him quickly before Inuyasha could bring a blush to his cheeks – which would _never_ happen, of that he was sure.

TBC


	18. Blinding Light

Author's Note:  
I struggled for ages to think of ideas for the ritual, **Special thanks to Snowfall, nette, SlightlyMadHatter, fallen_tears, maegerakawaii, pretty-crazed-doll & midnightsweet** whose ideas I used, and to the rest who also offered up some inspiration, they really helped me, thank you so very much.  
Sorry I havent got round to review replies yet, my internet is having some issues, whereby it takes 20mins to load some webpages. grr, I will borrow my friend's internet to reply to reviews next time, PROMISE!

**Chapter Eighteen  
Blinding Light**

Sesshomaru had worked very hard all his life to quash the indestructible creature that was his temper, though even now, he felt it boiling beneath the skin. Tiny prickles of heat shot through him, as the irritation of his servant speaking down to him swelled. His clawed hand gripped a little tighter to the banister as he descended the stairs, Takara at his side.

"Should you not be on your way to fetch Inuyasha down to the ceremony – it is due to start any moment," Sesshomaru said monotonously, but Takara was not put off.  
"Indeed My Lord," the azure-eyed demon responded courteously, "I will go fetch him shortly, though in response to what I saw and heard mere moments ago, I wonder if you pay any heed to my advice concerning your brother at all."

Sesshomaru paused, staring at the demon that seemed to be coming so dangerously close to reprimanding him. "I would know what the meaning of this is," The Demon Lord sneered.

Takara sighed heavily, shaking his head in disbelief. "I informed you of the best and healthiest way to care for Inuyasha – Under _no_ condition – irritate – tease – hurt – yell at – upset or _anger_ Inuyasha when he is pregnant."

The Healer paused then, regarding his master's expression carefully. "You _have_ been nice to him, haven't you?" Takara persisted. Sesshomaru's fangs grated together.  
"Nice to him?" he repeated, his voice betraying signs of irritation. The stress of this entire evening was getting to him. His brother, his brother's mood swings, Hikireimaru, the neighbouring lords, the midsummer's eve gathering, the pregnancy, his brother... They were all things that grated against his limited patience until he felt himself about to explode under the pressure.

"Nice to him? If I had been any nicer to the fickle little brat my _head_ may just have fallen off. His wants change more frequently than the tide. He hates me, yet asks me to bed him. He speaks crudely and arrogantly, only to crumble into poignant fear and misery. The boy is a creature that requires the attention of every waking moment or else he swipes my work from the desk! And despite all of this he expects me _love_ him. So in short, Takara, I believe I have done _exceptionally_ well at playing _nice_ with him."

Takara smiled, shaking his head slowly. "And yet, you put up with him?"  
"For the pup," Sesshomaru answered, "And for my lands – to keep it from those _allies'_ grabbing, gluttonous hands, to keep myself from those simpering females they thrust at me at every turn. In any case, the boy is not a bad lay at all. And to keep him at my bedside prevents him from sullying father's name by bedding any of those unworthy humans he seems to be so attracted to."

Takara turned, about to move back up the stairs in order to fetch Inuyasha, though paused to to his Lord once more. "Perhaps, Sire," he began thoughtfully, "you should consider your reasons for protecting your sibling so thoroughly, and then Lord Inuyasha's reasons for staying. It may enlighten you."

Sesshomaru frowned as he watched his servant ascending the stairs once more, confusion fighting to reach his expression, though failing (just barely). "Have you any further caustic advice to offer me?" Sesshomaru asked blankly. Again, that smile played across Takara's lips as he turned to answer.  
"Certainly; I think your father would have been very proud of you, Lord Sesshomaru," he said, before disappearing into the corridor above, and out of sight, leaving Sesshomaru more confused than before.

_He is my advisor, surely his job is to solve my confusion, not to increase it,_ he thought, as he waited at the large doors to the Main hall, glancing inside at the guests gathered there, before he moved off to the side. He had yet to dress for the ceremony, and must now hurry to do so, if he was going to be ready at the entrance to the main hall, in time to greet Inuyasha before they moved in to their 'blessing ceremony' together. He pondered Inuyasha's anxiety as he walked, recalling his own strong reassurance that he wouldn't allow anything to hurt him during this ceremony. His instincts tensed a little at the thought. He knew more than Inuyasha certainly, but there was still secrets…hidden practices he both respected and reviled.

* * *

Inuyasha fidgeted uncomfortably as he regarded his reflection in the mirror, barely recognising the person that stared back at him. Such preening girlishness in his own appearance startled him. Rebellious hair was tamed, the front strands of hair that usually hung down over his shoulders tied back into a braid above the rest of silver tresses which remained cascading down his back. He smiled slightly at the recollection of Rin's expression when he'd asked her if she wanted to do his hair.

_Girls are funny_, he thought, _they're so fickle, and confusing, but they're pleased by the weirdest things_… He'd never understand females, that was the conclusion he came to as he heard the door open. He turned towards the person framed in the doorway, features twisting into a small frown upon seeing that the person stepping into the room and closing the door behind them was not Takara at all.

"Lord Inuyasha," the aged, cloaked demon acknowledged, bowing swiftly before moving towards him. Inuyasha flinched, moving back cautiously. A small smirk flittered across the demon's lips. "I am but one of the few priests who will later be blessing your union, if that suits?"

Inuyasha shrugged, arms coming to wrap around himself slightly. "Whatever… What do you want?"

The Priest smirked. "Merely to offer you…some slither of choice in this decision that has been forced upon you."

Inuyasha quirked a brow, the frown only deepening when the Priest reached inside his robes. Presenting to the Half-demon's sight, a small, glass vial containing a colourless liquid, the demon pressed it into Inuyasha's grasp.  
"What're you-"  
"There have been many events, and people, that have lead to this day. This will give you the option to seize your life for yourself once more, and to live it _for_ yourself, not for anybody else."

Inuyasha frowned still, holding the crystal to the light and staring into the glass that expelled multihued prisms from the edges dazzling him slightly. "What's in it?" Inuyasha asked, breaking the silence at last. "I mean…what'll it do?"  
"To pour but a few drops on your mark will eradicate your bond with Lord Sesshomaru, erasing the scar completely. To ingest the liquid will…eliminate the other reason you may have to stay."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "Kill the pup, you mean…?"  
The Priest nodded.  
"Indeed Young Sire…Quick, painless… It would leave you free to walk your own path, if that is what you desire."

His gaze flickering from the glass to the demon swiftly, Inuyasha sneered. "Why? Why're you doing this? This is a lie, Sesshomaru said that-"  
"-Sire, Demons are the most intelligent beings to roam this earth, do you honestly believe there would be _anything_ that we couldn't find a cure for?"  
Again that frown descended upon him.  
"You make it sound like I'm sick," the Half-demon answered, still staring at the vial, confused. Here was the answer to all his problems, lying in the very palm of his hand. It would be so very easy to give in, so very easy... In his comparably long life, nothing had _ever_ come easy to him…

"My job, My Lord," The Priest began, disturbing Inuyasha from his thoughts, "Is to give you the option, nothing more. The whole idea of it, is to give you the choice. It is…up to you. Ponder your choice carefully Young Sire, and bring the vial down to the ritual with you, if you decide to use it, you may let us know then." With that, the demon moved across the room, not even offering him so much as a second glance, before disappearing through the doorway, leaving Inuyasha with his confusion. Pain, misery, effort…they were all things he was so very tired of, and here was a solution to all of that.

Suddenly he leapt, he heard a voice, a voice that drew him back from his pensiveness as Takara entered. He smiled warmly at him, not noticing as Inuyasha stowed the vial inside his kimono carefully. "You are ready My Lord?"

Inuyasha swallowed hard as he departed from his and Sesshomaru's chambers, Takara at his side. He felt the pup offer him a sharp kick, which _'oddly'_ did little to help his nerves. Dozens upon dozens of foreign scents and voices assaulted his mind, wafting up the stairs from the hall. They only heightened the tension in his slightly weakened legs, as it dawned on him just how many demons would surround him, watch him, _judge_ him during this _ritual_, especially whilst wearing his current garments (which he wasn't all that sure of).

However he was thankful that the kimono he now wore specifically for the ceremony hid his baby bump from sight, it made him feel slightly more – _male_. Though granted, Rin's insistent grooming of his hair hadn't helped to abolish any girlishness, but at least he thought Sesshomaru might care for his appearance. He frowned inwardly at the thought, his outer self incapable of expressing anything other than anxiety and apprehension of what was to come; ears pricked for the slightest sound, eyes stared about rapidly as he and Takara made their careful way down the stairs.

_Did I just think that? Why the hell do I care if Sesshomaru approves of what I look like? All he cares about today is that it means I can _seriously_ never escape him – _ever!_  
No! _His mind argued, _You said you were going to try and be okay with this – you said it yourself 'there's no logical way out, so just get used to staying'. The reasons for staying far outweigh the bad…_

His nerves leapt into his throat, crushing his windpipe. He swallowed defiantly in an attempt to dislodge it as he reached the end of the stairs, he and the demon beside him moving towards Sesshomaru who stood at the closed doors, his back to them.

_I don't have anything else to go back to. Kagome _is _gone… This is my life now, it doesn't mean I have to forget her, or that I can't love her, it just means I have to try and be happy without her, just like she wanted – I can do that for this pup, even if Sesshomaru_ doesn't _give a damn about me…_

You have to decide now… If you can't stand to live this way you have to decide by the time the Priest asks you…

It was then that they stopped, Inuyasha's large golden eyes blinking as his brother seemed to take forever to turn. Anxious breaths ebbed away to regular breathing as the Demon Lord faced him, dressed in a kimono similar to his usual one, though it caused a quizzical expression reach Inuyasha then. Sesshomaru, he looked, different somehow, and he all-but gasped when he realised it. The patterned silks were more intricate, more lustrous than his usual, the majority of his silver locks were tied up off his neck, whilst some remained down, tucked neatly behind slightly pointed ears and cascading over his shoulders that were without their armour (but not without his fur).

Wetting his suddenly dry lips, Inuyasha spoke at last, realising why Sesshomaru was so startlingly different now. "You…You look like-"  
"-Father. Indeed, I thought so, once Nannami and those wenches were done, I felt like I saw him staring back at me in the mirror as opposed to myself."

A clawed hand rose then, running leisurely through his little brother's well-groomed tresses. Those eyes scanned over the smaller form, (ignoring the beads of subjugation that remained). Crisp white silks clung to that oddly slender looking body (now that the baggy fire-rat material was off him). Patterns similar to that of Sesshomaru's everyday attire were embroidered in gold at the sleeves and shoulder, the very same colour of the obi around the Half-demon's waist, and at the small tie in his hair (that all-but screamed Rin's handwork) that held back the few strands at the front that the human had pulled back from Inuyasha's face. This strange whiteness on his younger sibling (that in the ritual was supposed symbolise innocence) made questioning, apprehensive eyes all the more lustrous, it even made him look _younger_. But it was not merely this that caused the slightest frown to gather at the Demon Lord's brow.

"I know what you're looking at," Inuyasha smirked despite himself, covering up his initial terror by gesturing to his face – or more accurately, the demonic, lilac crests that adorned his cheeks – the same marks that would have been there if he were full-demon. "Takara did it. It was his idea, not mine."

Sesshomaru arced a brow. "Indeed?" he asked, looking to his servant, whose smile never faltered. After a few moments of silent stares, Inuyasha shrugged off his brother's hands awkwardly.  
"They look weird, I know-"  
"-They are not displeasing," The older brother said expressionlessly, "Though it is good that they are not permanent. You look well enough as you usually are."

Takara smirked at the almost complement, muttering something about 'quieting everyone down before they entered' before disappearing into the hall and leaving the siblings alone in the silence, (each secretly unsure of how to break it).

"As a matter-of-fact, I was looking at the collar," Sesshomaru corrected him impassively. Inuyasha (avoiding his brother's eyes) fondled the choker around his neck thoughtfully.  
"Part of the stupid ritual," he growled, "supposed to symbolize 'submission' and 'obedience' or something, keh…"

Sesshomaru refrained from smirking at his little brother's words. "You are anxious," the Demon stated, reading into his sibling's raging emotions. Inuyasha shrugged. "Your worry is needless," Sesshomaru assured him, "It will be over soon, and you will be told what to do or say throughout."  
"Keh," responded Inuyasha, avoiding those perusing eyes, "I just don't enjoy being looked at is all. _You're_ the social butterfly." The edge of teasing to those words told Sesshomaru Inuyasha was at least _trying_ to cope, which showed his inner strength despite his condition. A small swell of pride brewed within his chest at the notion.  
"Indeed."

The noise in the hall beyond the great doors dissipated, and the brother's looked at each other once more, Inuyasha taking his brother's arm reproachfully as Sesshomaru silently suggested. "Shall we?" he asked. Inuyasha shrugged in answer once more.  
"Whatever. It's now or never, right?" This was all he managed out, before accompanying his brother through the doors, and into the dazzlingly bright room beyond.

Happiness, that's what the décor (that Rin had earlier let slip she and Nannami had taken charge of) stood for. Red and white decorative hangings were suspended from the walls and the ceiling far above, matching lights like thousands of tiny fireflies glowing from candles littering the hall.

A larger, white candle sat in the hand of each guest that stood in two groups either side of the red and white carpet beneath their feet. Cherry blossoms lay strewn across it (like rice may be at a mortal 'western wedding') the significance of the flower's presence bewildering the Half-demon as he moved towards the altar ahead. The shrine that was the focal point of the room was dressed similarly to the rest of the room, unlit incense standing on each layer of it. Inuyasha's eyes remained entranced by it as it seemed only Sesshomaru drew him onward.

White material (that like his kimono signified virtue) lay beneath the glittering dressings that curved and hung from the ornaments he couldn't identify and the burning incense. Everything was so intricately woven it almost hurt to try and decipher how.

All eyes were on them as they drew onward, and as Inuyasha finally tore his eyes from the shrine, he was all too conscious of their potential thoughts and opinions, all too anxious about their gazes, more than he cared to admit. Evidently sensing his unease, the Demon Lord grazed his own mark subtly, causing a prickle to assault Inuyasha's. The sensation made him incline his head slightly to look at his brother.

"If you would raise your eyes from the floor you would see that they are staring in awe of you, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru muttered for his hearing only, a tint of jealousy plaguing his hushed words. The unnameable emotion flickering within the older sibling's eyes briefly drew Inuyasha's attention away from his awkwardness, distracting him with odd comfort, even as they reached the altar, and the three, cloaked demons that stood there. The Half-demon's gaze fell to the floor once more, upon recognising one of the demons as the one who had offered the potion…

"Inu-no-Taishou's sons," the centre demon observed quietly, aged gaze darting between the two of them. "It was often said that if your father had possessed any siblings it would have meant the end of the world – in seeing you two. I see the reasons why."

Inuyasha smirked nervously at the odd use of humour, though Sesshomaru remained as impassive as ever.

"Nonetheless, you are both ready to proceed?"

Inuyasha gnawed his lip absently, while his brother nodded. The right Priest (the one Inuyasha recognized) smiled briefly to a nervous Half-demon, a flicker of understanding dancing briefly across aged features, before he began, and Inuyasha felt his butterflies flutter in his stomach. The pup offered him a sharp nudge. He felt like he was going to vomit…

"We gather here…" the left Priest began, his voice carrying across the hall to the many demons within. Inuyasha's hand pressed into his stomach as subtly as possible, trying to hold down the growing need to heave up his dinner.

"…To offer our prayers to the Gods, to the ancestors of Lord Sesshomaru and Inuyasha – To ask the deities and the deceased to bless this union with all their divine strength."

Inuyasha glanced down at the intricate table between himself and the priests (all of them situated before the shrine that still fought to capture his attention) a small bowl lay in the centre of the table, an odd assortment of things beside it – a tree-branch, cherry blossom petals, blades… He swallowed, desperately wishing he'd thought to ask Sesshomaru, or Takara or _anyone_ what this ritual entailed exactly.

"We ask that they watch over these two, bestowing them with the luck and prosperity that will permit their relationship to flourish and their bond to only strengthen in time, whereas others may waver." The left Priest's eyes ceased to travel across those of the surveying demons and fixed instead on Inuyasha and Sesshomaru once more, his voice still strong, though somehow…different, more personal. "I will ask you two to face each other."

The brothers did as they were instructed, the action meaning that the Half-demon could no longer avoid Sesshomaru's incisive gaze. The two Priests at either side stood back, leaving the centre demon standing alone before them. "Lord Sesshomaru," he said, "if you would continue."

The Demon Lord nodded slightly, locking eyes with his brother. "Watch me," he whispered, as Inuyasha regarded him with doe eyes. Razor claws glistened as they caught the white and crimson light, descending slyly to his hips, scraping over where Inuyasha knew his mating mark to be, a slither of angry red staining his kimono over his hipbone. Inuyasha hissed, hand clapping instinctually to his neck, where his own mark throbbed in response to Sesshomaru's pain. "Your turn," The Demon Lord murmured, voice almost inaudible. Inuyasha swallowed uncertainly, the hand still clasped over his neck shifting to drag his claw over his mark, though unlike him, Sesshomaru did not betray his discomfort in response.

"By proving the existence of their physical and spiritual connections, and their partner's pain through their bond, they are able to proceed."

Inuyasha's wince faded as the self-inflicted wound began to heal, even though an echo of Sesshomaru's injury remained. The sudden fire that spat from the priest's hand into the small bowl did not even distract him from its lingering presence.

Sapphire flames that disturbed the colour scheme of the hall crackled in the confines of the bowl, never attempting to escape. A few moments passed, and the swaying fire failed to release its hold on Inuyasha's gaze. Nudging his baby brother gently, Sesshomaru fought to repress a smirk as he realised Inuyasha had returned to reality, just in time to watch the Priest take the small, leafless twig in his hand and drop it into the fire.

"The evergreen bark, willingly offered by Bokusen-Oh, in order to signify an eternal bond, unbreakable, unable to be torn or damaged by the changing world."

Whilst Inuyasha struggled to realise the significance of the trees name, Sesshomaru was left with a single, nagging confusion as to why it had been that _particular_ tree that had offered its branch for the ceremony.

All unvoiced questions and mutterings that had erupted amongst those observing were soon silenced by the Priest's commanding tone, as he continued. Snatching up a handful of the pink blossoms scattered across the tablecloth, he permitted them to drop into the fire, the flames leaping slightly as if to capture it before it fell completely. "Cherry blossoms – the flowers of our lands, that signify their blossoming fertility."

Inuyasha flushed at that, lowering his eyes so that he did not see the Priest's next move. Elderly hands plucked a golden, silken ribbon from the table. Sesshomaru understood the manoeuvre immediately, responding by holding his arm out, hand over the fire. "Inuyasha," the Demon Lord muttered, summoning his brother's attention to him once more, before silently gesturing to follow his lead. Inuyasha copied Sesshomaru, his brother's fingers forced into interlocking with his, palm to palm as the Priest wrapped the silk around their intertwined hands.

"With thy hands bound, do you represent your faultless connection, the silk thread acting as a symbol for the mutual attraction between you, keeping you together."

At this Inuyasha snorted, earning a soft growl from his brother, signalling he should remain silent. Not in the mood for a scene (his condition forbidding to draw even more attention to himself) he merely rolled his eyes, and his mouth closed soundlessly.

Again the Demon's hand descended upon the table, capturing a curved, small silver blade, which toyed forebodingly with the eerie light surrounding them. Dark eyes flickered to them both briefly, that manoeuvre the only warning before the knife slid between their palms, withdrawing swiftly, a thin gash on each sibling's palm and a stream of bloody liquid erupted in its wake. Whereas Sesshomaru failed to even blink, Inuyasha gasped, fangs grating together, every effort being made to not swear loudly.

Crimson life's-blood escaped into the fire below, flames licking at their hands, just barely missing them in its thirst for the fluids, and the once blue inferno burned a vibrant amethyst. "And as tradition of our kind demands – blood, to signify life. The lives of these two who are joined here, and the lives they may bring forth."

Inuyasha (blushing again) swore he saw the Priest's eyes flicker briefly to his stomach, though if he had, it was too swift a movement to be sure.

"Which of this pair is the dominant?" The question, so seemingly unnecessary, brazen and embarrassing caused an even more violent flush to stain the Half-demon's cheeks, even Sesshomaru cleared his throat in an attempt to disguise his initial surprise.  
"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha answered, shocking his brother by his almost immediate answer. Though the Demon Lord's surprise was disturbed by the Priest's blade flicked swiftly across the back of his hand. Sesshomaru stared at the weeping wound carefully, as if unsure how it had appeared..

"The dominant partner hereby vows to protect his mate and any offspring from all harm, to provide and care for them."

Sesshomaru nodded his understanding, though Inuyasha remained confused as he stared at his brother's wounded hand, and the now blood-stained silk still binding them together, his expression thoughtful. Blood trickled around the younger brother's hand, spilling onto the dying fire below, and the flames hissed as the blood extinguished them at last.

The ribbon fell away and released their hands from its hold, a strange tingling sensation coursing through the Half-demon's skin where his blood had met Sesshomaru's. It suddenly occured to him, what a submission his brother had made, by being tied to a being with human blood in their veins.

"Lord Inuyasha?" the nameless Priest continued, practically startling the thoughtful half-demon. "I trust your 'choice' has been offered to you?"

Inuyasha looked to Sesshomaru. "You have _got _to be kiddin' me?" He muttered, unheard by anyone else, but the elder sibling was evidently confused while Inuyasha panicked. He hadn't made his decision! It had just been thrust upon him, and whatever the decision it affected the rest of his life! He frowned, the look of his brother's face illustrating the fact that he didn't know what was happening.

_He couldn't have known,_ Inuyasha thought, _otherwise he'd have stopped it; I know he would have…_

"Young Sire?"  
"No," Inuyasha muttered quietly. "You ask me now? After half the damn ritual has happened already? What type of sick twisted assholes are you?"  
"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru hissed, attempting to silence him. Murmurs erupted amongst those behind them, but Inuyasha ignored him.  
"I've come this far, and I'm not backing out. People have always tried to overpower and overthrow me but I've always made my own decisions! You think that stuff you gave me will make my problems go away but that's not the way the world works – You said events and people have lead to this choice but that's exactly what life  
_is_. And by telling me I can live it for myself, it means just that – _for_ myself, alone, with nobody else. And I won't go back to being alone anymore." He paused, realising that every fleeting sound had silenced in order to listen to him, and he flushed slightly, as he felt Sesshomaru's gaze in particular press upon him. "And that is my decision."

For a moment, nothing happened, but then suddenly, the Priests shared a look, and the centre one returned his gaze to the brothers once more. "The Uke of this pair, having rejected the option to eradicate their bond, mark and unborn pup, does hereby receive the blessings of the three high priests of Demonic Union, and may now continue with their ritual to secure their coupling."

_I'll 'uke' __**you**__ in a minute, you decrepit old fart,_ Inuyasha growled mentally, observing the fact that Sesshomaru, for the first time seemed _more_ than slightly disgruntled, obviously not fully comprehending just yet, that Inuyasha had been offered a chance to escape him, and had not taken it. The Half-demon did not miss the fleeting smirk the centre Priest offered him, evidently approving of him as he allowed dark fluids (which smelled and looked suspiciously like ink) into the rapidly cooling mixture the extinguished fire had left behind.

_This is it, no more looking back, _Inuyasha thought, falling back to reality as he realised the bowl with the strange smelling, dark concoction was being pressed into hand, by his brother, and frowned as a brush was placed in his other.

"Those witnessing, please blow out your candles as they inscribe their vows to each other." The priest moved back with the others, Inuyasha glancing around them as half the light dimmed. Sesshomaru's flesh seemed to almost glow in the diminutive light – still enough to see by, though startlingly different to the dazzling brightness that had been hurting his eyes almost since he'd entered.

"The designated vows are in the texts on the shrine before you."

Inuyasha inhaled carefully, eyes widening as he watched Sesshomaru shrug off his haori slowly, allowing it to bunch at the crook of his elbows. He turned his back to Inuyasha, and in that instant it became all too painfully clear what the Half-demon had to do.  
"Just read the kanji and write it," Sesshomaru muttered, prodding him onward, sweeping his hair off his back so Inuyasha may continue.

Moving forward, Inuyasha dipped the brush into the now warm liquid, body bunching in apprehension as his hand descended to make the first stroke. Black-ish ink glided over flawless skin, a small tremor moving through him as he felt _far _too many eyes upon him. His hand was trembling under the weight of their gazes, which made him even more uneasy, since he didn't want shaky lettering embedded upon his brother's back. Did it even come off afterwards? His mind was assaulted with a thousand worries, each stroke swifter than the last in his urgency to get this over with.

It was a blessing he'd had time to learn how to read and write before his mother had passed away, however he'd suddenly become all-too conscious of the fact that he'd never had the chance to perfect his calligraphy. He frowned at the haphazard lettering as he neared the end of the vows. But even more worryingly, that wasn't what had him so shaken. This was ridiculous. What was so intimate about writing on his brother's backs? He'd seen much more embarrassing parts of his..._mate_, and had his embarrassing parts seen in return. _I'm just pathetic,_ he thought, nearing the last kanji.

Sesshomaru turned as Inuyasha stepped back, evidently finished. "Turn, Little Brother," the Demon Lord said, taking the bowl and brush from Inuyasha, who frowned at him. "Remove your upper-clothing," he persisted, barely audible. The Half-demon's eyes lowered awkwardly.  
"But I…they'll all see. Just-"  
"-I shall finish it as quickly as possible," Sesshomaru muttered, gesturing for him to turn, "I am a finer hand than you at scripture I should think." Upon seeing the smirk that was meant to rid him of his unease Inuyasha turned, ready to have it over with before he drew too much attention to his awkwardness.

White material slithered down his skin, and he flinched in apprehension of what was to come from those now watching him intently, after all, even in the demon world, pregnant males weren't something of an everyday occurrence. Some were likely to be intrigued and overly fascinated, whilst others would remain disturbed and disgusted. Golden eyes closed against the room, and Inuyasha's ears flattened back into his hair in attempts to ignore the few murmurs that had begun to spread.

"Silence." Sesshomaru's voice, however quiet, however calm commanded obedience, and all fell quiet as the brush slid across Inuyasha's shoulders, beginning the vows. There was something wrong, that's what Sesshomaru felt as the dark lettering was inscribed upon Inuyasha's skin. Something just felt incredibly uncomfortable in this situation – perhaps having all those gathered behind them, staring at even _half_ of his brother's body disagreed with him? He could feel Inuyasha's discomfort as well but that was not what fuelled his own unease. He didn't want other people looking at Inuyasha. He could give no plausible explanation for that, but that was the reason, of that he was sure.

"There's no vow for love on here," Inuyasha murmured, distracting Sesshomaru from his thoughts.  
"Hn?"  
"I know there's nothing like that between us, but don't other demons have it? They're not all heartless asses like you are they?" The hushed words were so quiet even Sesshomaru struggled to hear them, though he smirked as he understood them, pondering his brother's words as he flicked his brush over the small of Inuyasha's back. He drew back only after painting the final kanji upon a whim, not upon reading it from the text beside them which depict the prescribed vows, as it was not there.

Oblivious to what his brother had just done, Inuyasha did not move, though Sesshomaru was slightly impressed as he regarded his handwriting drying almost instantly. _No doubt the result of an ink comprised of blood, bark and flowers,_ Sesshomaru thought as he turned his brother to face him, drawing the kimono back over his upper body once more, before doing the same for himself. And for that brief, fleeting moment where their eyes locked, there was that unbidden sincerity, an unmeasured depth of unspoken understanding that held such intensity if could not be communicated with words.

Upon seeing that they were done, the priests moved forwards once more, offering each sibling a single, burning candle. "To bring the ceremony and blessing to a close, the two of you must light the incense in prayer for the future," the centre Demon said (the other two still looking a little bewildered that Inuyasha had actually refused to escape his situation).

The tension slowly evaporated from the brothers' bodies with the lighting of each incense candle, each flame bringing them once step closer to escaping the suffocating gazes that seemed to be intensifying by the moment. And as the last candle flickered to life, they turned, facing the silent room. "The blessings have been bestowed. Your bond is henceforth complete."

A highly audible sigh from Inuyasha went unnoticed as the thirty-odd witnesses applauded, the cloaked audience drawing back their hoods to expose their identities as the siblings stepped down into the aisle once more. Takara and Nannami smiled warmly, and Ayane and Ayaka giggled slightly, causing a flush to ride across Inuyasha's cheeks. A final glimpse of the room allowed Inuyasha to catch sight of Rin applauding overzealously beside Jaken, (who looked too stunned for words) before the Half-demon followed his brother from the room, the door closing behind them.

"We don't have to have any stupid after-party thing do we?" Inuyasha asked, clawed fingers tracing his stomach unconsciously. "I've had about enough of people as I can stand." He watched a smirk flitter across his brother's lips, mimicking the expression in response.  
"No, we do not. However I would like to show you something if you would not mind following me," Sesshomaru said softly. Inuyasha shrugged, following his brother through the halls. Sensing a gradual confusion and pensiveness from his brother, Inuyasha inclined his head slightly, awaiting his speech, or gesture, anything to offer him some clue to what had his mind and emotions raging.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said, not looking at him, "You…chose to stay." It was more of a statement than a question, but Inuyasha felt the pressure to answer swelling in his chest. There were so many reasons that he had come to that decision, none of which he wished to discuss. Luckily, Sesshomaru continued. "They offered you a way out, and you chose to stay?" This time the Demon Lord stopped, turning to face him as they paused in the archway, and golden gazes locked once more.  
"It wasn't a way out," he said quietly, "it was another door to step through, that lead to a worse place."  
"Nevertheless, you chose to stay with me."

The Half-demon shrugged, this his only available reply at such short notice. "Yeah, I guess so, and?" he asked. Sesshomaru regarded him closely, making Inuyasha jump as clawed fingers captured his chin, sifting into silver hair as their lips meshed together.

Drawing apart, Sesshomaru watched the unconscious movement of his brother's tongue gathering his taste off his lips, and the Demon Lord's fingers smoothed over the beads around his little brother's neck. He frowning slightly. "You kept the beads on," he stated, summoning Inuyasha back to reality, "a little inappropriate considering the occasion."

The Half-demon stepped back from him slightly. "Firstly only Kagome can take them off since they're beads of subjugation and she's the priestess that put 'em there. Secondly I guess…I want to keep them." He elaborated no further. He couldn't tell his brother that he wanted to keep the only evidence of his bond with Kagome with him even if it _wasn't_ the night of their blessing ceremony. How could he explain loving someone so much that the slightest flickering memory of them you clung to with all your might, despite how much it hurt… It was something his brother could not comprehend, and something he could not bring himself to elaborate on…

"Does it…I mean…" Inuyasha sighed heavily, searching for the correct words. "We decided to move forwards, right?"  
Sesshomaru nodded, but voiced no answer.  
"Well then," Inuyasha continued uneasily, "I need to know that…that it's okay that we can still do this, even if I'm…" his fangs grated together in awkward embarrassment, "…still in love with Kagome."

For a long moment, the Demon Lord said nothing, evidently selecting his words carefully. "In moving forward, as long as she is not mentioned, it does not effect me," he answered simply, "We have agreed to put our pasts behind us, and to look to the future for the pup, is that not correct?"  
Inuyasha shrugged again, his brother deciphering his meaning before gesturing to the archway they stood before that lead outside.  
"Shall we continue," Sesshomaru said suddenly, changing the subject, "I have something to show you?"

The younger sibling sighed as he sensed his brother's brush-off attitude returning, realising that the Priestess would be a subject that aroused his temper, and therefore one to avoid. _That's fine with me,_ he thought,_surrounded by people who didn't know her, or her light...Maybe that's the only way to stop thinking about her. And besides, I doubt this pup will give me much free time to ponder the past or my feelings once it comes along…_

Together they moved forwards through the archway, all thoughtfulness falling away at the oddly familiar sight that greeted him. "Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha asked distantly, golden gaze darting about him, not able to focus on any one thing with so much going on. "This is…" His word faded, never completed as he stepped further onward.

Lush grass fought to greet his feet through his sandals, Inuyasha hastening to kick them off before wandering into the gardens. The welcoming arms of the cherry blossom trees' branches framed the outskirts of the garden, whilst the vibrant summer flowers bloomed in their beds, scattered around, offering an interruption to the lush green and pink of the grass and trees. Sesshomaru stood back, watching his brother's approach of the small, flowing fountain beneath the shade of the great tree at the garden's centre. It looked like it had stood there for decades, its branches stretched outward, as if attempting to reach the surrounding building, though failing. And oddly, that was where Inuyasha stopped, taking a seat at the fountain's edge, beneath the tree.

"By your uncharacteristic silence," Sesshomaru began, walking to his brother's side at last, "I take it that you like your gift?"

Inuyasha turned, hair mere inches from the water at the fountain's base. "Gift?" he asked, a childish glint in his eyes, "As in…it's mine?"  
Sesshomaru nodded, his face impassive, though once icy heart thawing as Inuyasha's eyes left him in favour of surveying the restored beauty around him. "Do you not recognize it?" he asked pressingly.  
Inuyasha frowned, not entirely sure the conclusion he had come to could be true.  
"The garden below your office?" Inuyasha guessed. Sesshomaru did not respond, though the silence was all the answer he needed. He'd been correct. "But how did you-"  
"-So quickly, you mean?" The Demon Lord finished for him, a slight smirk playing at his lips. "It is indeed amazing what gathering the strength and ability of all that were able within the market and palace can achieve."

The small smile brewing beneath Inuyasha's expression stretched, a youthful grin that exposed his fangs sending an odd, warm sensation through his chest. Still smiling, Inuyasha turned, golden gaze considering his reflection in the water of the fountain. "Keh, I still think these crests look weird," he said, pulling his kimono sleeve down and raising it in preparation to wipe the paint from his face.

"Wait!"

Inuyasha jumped at his brother's sudden order, not even having the time to turn before the Demon Lord was at his side, resting on the rim of the small pool. "Do not be so foolish, Little Brother," he said, swatting Inuyasha's hand away, "you will ruin your kimono."

Before the Half-demon could argue, clawed fingers glided into his hair, capturing the back of his neck and tilting his chin up with his thumb, before descending upon him. Inuyasha flinched as his brother's tongue flicked over his cheek, cleaning the now flushed face of the markings.

Cringing slightly at the taste of the oils, Sesshomaru pulled back a bare inch, breath steaming up his brother's features. A surprised little jolt assaulted the Demon Lord's body as Inuyasha's tongue flicked across his lips swiftly, almost playfully.

Inuyasha smirked at the badly hidden shock printed across his brother's face. Considering the day's events – he had not solved his problems, they were far from gone from his all-too troubled life. He didn't _love_ Sesshomaru, and yet he did. The rediscovery of the 'siblings love' he held was evident to him now, though he didn't think he'd ever be able to harbour any of the passion or romantic love for anyone but the girl he had decided to cease thinking of as much as possible. But Sesshomaru didn't love him either.

It was not the first nor last time he realised they had started out with selfish reasons, but now the pup was on its way, they could find common ground, as the unborn infant was something important to them both. They were stuck together forever. Love was something the Half-demon desired so very passionately, though Sesshomaru did not offer it, and that was all there is to it. He could take everything else and raise his pup in the warm light, devoid of the pain and suffering he had endured for so long, or else leave everything behind, all for the absence of one thing…

He'd made his decision… He would only _ever_ love Kagome, so was it honestly fair to ask it from anyone else when he could not return the emotion? _Hardly,_ he thought, even as Sesshomaru's eyes continued to stare into his own. He would not hurt his pup by throwing away the comfortable life Sesshomaru promised to give them, by running into the arms of the beckoning dark. Nothing had changed, and yet everything had at the same time. His pup would love him, so if he had that, he was sure he could live, and be happy with that – he could be happy with kind of love, it was better than none at all.

Sesshomaru pressed a little closer to him, husky whispers flowing into his ears. "Do you recall that there was to be no 'after-party' as you put it?"  
Inuyasha nodded dumbly, swallowing nervously.  
"One could be arranged, a private…" Sesshomaru paused, tongue skimming over a downy ear provocatively, "more intimate party…"

TBC

A/N: Likey the ritual? I did try with it. I mixed some stuff from my 'Face of a Miracle' one and some fresh ideas both from myself and a few from you lovely readers ^.^

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	19. Endless Night

Author's Note:  
Heya! I was writing this with episode 126 in the background, and that emo version of Inuyasha reminded me a little of emo Inuyasha in my story lol. Bless him, I wish to cuddle him! XD Neways lotsa angst and stuff in this chapter, so be warned! lol.

Enjoy and review please :) And I'd be grateful if you'd re-recommend this to others you either think may enjoy or who you think enjoyed the story before I reposted. Thank you!

**Warning! No Lemon but some explicit reference to female and male anatomy. Continue at your own risk!**

**Chapter Nineteen  
Endless Night**

Steam formed an ethereal mist around the therapeutic water of the bath. Waters flowed over aching flesh caressing each angry blemish with subtle, massaging waves. Inuyasha sighed as he leant back, closing his eyes against the relaxing warmth. Two strong arms encircled him and placid nips grazed over the nape of his neck affectionately every so often, soothed by fluttering butterfly kisses.

The durable ink that stained their flesh washed away as the cloth in his brother's free hand cleaned him slowly, permitting him to press his back against his chest once the vows that they had painted on each other's skin had been washed away. He was glad of it. He hadn't really relished the idea of walking around with demonic rituals inscribed on his back, and likewise, did not think Sesshomaru would relish in carrying his little brother's pitiful handwriting with him forever.

The Demon Lord barely refrained from smiling as he watched his scripture wash from his brother's flesh. He wasn't entirely sure why he'd added to the prescribed vows, especially since it now faded into the water, never to be seen by his Inuyasha, who was oblivious to the promise of something he was constantly (albeit inadvertently) asking for.

"Quite the interesting turn out for the ceremony," Sesshomaru muttered, more to himself than Inuyasha, though the Half-demon responded in any case.  
"Keh…Well I only knew a select few-"  
"Every neighbouring demonic ruler was present. Just the Lords themselves, that is…"

Inuyasha shrugged. He didn't care, he never had to see them again now in any case, and as uncomfortable it had been to stand under the mercy of their stares, he'd heard their approval in the applause afterwards. Whether it had been a mere façade for Sesshomaru's benefit, he was not concerned at this present moment. He was far too tired to be concerned with _anything_ much except sleep as he lay there, relying on his brother to keep him from sliding under the water.

"As comfortable as I am sure you are, Inuyasha, movement is inevitable," the Demon Lord muttered, smirking at the heated sigh ushering from his brother's lips. Sesshomaru's clawed fingers danced across the Half-demon's swollen stomach thoughtfully, as if not fully comprehending his movements. The tickling touch caused Inuyasha to shudder slightly, finding his brother's arms enveloping him fully, holding him tight against his chest.

"If you are cold, perhaps you should get yourself to bed, Inuyasha."

The Half-demon frowned, staring down at where his brother's wrists criss-crossed over his stomach. "Just me?" he asked, voice barely audible, "What about you?"

Sesshomaru straightened up, slowly drawing a reluctant Inuyasha from the water.

"I have some small business to attend to before turning in."

Tying the yukata lying nearby around him swiftly, Inuyasha turned to face him, his brows still knotted in a frown.

Sesshomaru barely withheld a smirk. "You will warm the sheets for me?" The air of questioning to his words preventing his baby brother's temper from surging, though his frown failed to retreat from his features. From any other man, that moment called for affectionate words, an embrace or else some greater emotion; Sesshomaru offered him the briefest, most fleeting of smiles before turning from his side, and disappearing beyond the door.

* * *

A blinding flash tore through the air. Fresh streaks of agony raked into flesh. Screams followed in the wake of claws - poisonous talons biting, tearing, leaving bleeding gashes in their path. Sesshomaru drew his hand back, a sneer playing across his features as he regarded his work – the faces of his (now former) servants' faces. The women stared at him in both horror and pain, hands clasped to their cheeks, anxious of their Lord's next move.

"You _sicken_ me – You are my underlings, my _servants_ – beneath even my contempt and you dare defy me?" The monotonous, forebodingly calm words sliced into them, and the demonesses shuffled back warily, never lowering their eyes from his claws that lay dormant at the demon's side.

"P-Please Sire, we-"  
"-Defied me!" He lunged forwards, seizing the front of the centre woman's robes, claws threatening to tear into skin once more. "Tarnish my possession with your envious hands!"

The woman cowered. "Y-Your…possession, My Lord-?"  
"-My brother, my mate – _your_ new Lord. Lord Inuyasha."  
"But Sire, he is a-" her words died in her throat as his free hand shot forwards, his claws capturing her tongue between them, threatening to tear through it. Eyes bled an angry red as his fangs glimmering, bared to the torch-lit hall filled with people.

"Say it…" he hissed, voice echoing into the ears of his servants assembled before him, watching him, every one of them fearful, besides Takara and Nannami, who bore quite the opposite expressions to their workmates. "Say that he is a half-breed if you dare… He carries my father's blood – _my _blood… And henceforth," He paused, voice growing louder this time so that all gathered before him could hear. "Any whisper, any grimace or murmur – _any_ further behaviour that would distress or offend Lord Inuyasha, and I will tear out your tongues." He stared at them briefly for a moment, daring their argument, but when the hall remained silent, he threw the demoness from him, and stood fluidly.

"My Father was your Lord before me, and like him, I command respect and loyalty, or you will die." Surveying those watching him, Sesshomaru allowing his words to permeate the air before continuing. "Likewise, Lord Inuyasha commands respect and loyalty. You will do this or you will die. Those are your options, consider your choices wisely, _no one_ will receive a second warning nor mercy if they challenge my rule again."

No murmur, nor whisper – no _breath_ was heard as Sesshomaru allowed the hall's door to fall closed behind him, success fluttering in his chest as he ascended the stairs. If ever his followers were in doubt of his wrath before, they certainly weren't any longer. _Their eyes, their scents,_ he thought as he approached the door to his chambers, _they will not dare fail to heed my warning…_

"Lord Sesshomaru?"  
His clawed hand paused on the door as he turned to the voice, repressing the flickering smirk that attempted to grace his lips at his triumph.  
"Takara," he acknowledged, as the demon paused before him bowing slightly before speaking once more.  
"I came to you, Sire, to tell you how well you handled things. Your Father would be most proud."

Sesshomaru smirked. "They may be your feelings, however that is not what you came to me for, is it?"

The Servant offered him a small smile. "Indeed My Lord, what I honestly wished to discuss is some rather urgent business-"  
"-Can it not wait? It is getting late-"  
"-It concerns Inuyasha."

* * *  
The sun dipped towards the horizon, the barest slither visible as the last moments before dusk came to a slow end. A sigh shuddered from the Half-demon's lips as he stared at the canopy overhead, and the place where folded fabric disappeared into the dimness above. Clawed fingers tapped uninterestedly on his stomach, his yukata hanging limply either side of him, leaving him quite exposed to the otherwise empty room.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been lying there for, but it already seemed too long. He didn't especially feel like being on his own right now – his pregnancy pains had subsided, and his ritual bad mood had all-but evaporated, if he permitted himself to dwell for too long he'd slip back into the dimness he wanted so badly to avoid.

Another sigh escaped his lips as he straightened up slowly, steadying himself on the edge of the bed. Suddenly his body wavered. His vision twisted, as a disorientating dizziness distorted his vision. A wince contorted his features and he snapped his eyes shut. He felt strange. An unsettling pressure that had been lingering in his lower body steadily swelled. He felt his insides pinch and knot. Inuyasha bit down into his lip to silence any sounds of pain that struggled to escape from him. His body slumped forwards, arms embracing his own stomach in an attempt to dislodge the growing pain.

Something was happening. Something was wrong. His stomach offered a foreboding grumble that was not in hunger or anything else he'd suffered before… Or perhaps he had suffered it, only now it was…_different_. Something was wrong. His insides churned and knotted. He doubled over with the agony, heavy, pained pants escaping from his lips.

An unbearable icy blanket fell over him. This was death. Something was wrong. His senses wavered, blurring like his vision. A clawed hand reached out unseeingly to the bedpost, pulling himself to his feet shakily whilst supporting his stomach with his free hand. Panic seized him, suffocating him with each breath as his body seemed to be trying to crush him from the inside out. A shallow cry escaped his lips. He couldn't bear it. Claws dug further into the wooden bedstead, his body hanging from the support limply as his breath escaped him, face twisted and contorted in agony.

"S…SESSHOMARU!" He screamed out, his eyes clenched, attempting to shut out the hazy world. He didn't know why he cried out, all he knew was that he was falling, and Sesshomaru was the only one left that he could count on. His knees buckled under the pain. An odd warmth smothered the icy cold, capturing him before his body felt the brute force of the floor.

"Inuyasha?" The cool, impassive tone soothed his senses, though his agony and panic soared to heights that his screams could not express. The Demon Lord eased the hurting body with him onto the edge of the bed, staring down into that face so contorted with pain. "What is the matter?" The only answer he recieved was the continuation of muffled cries, Inuyasha raking his claws unintentionally into his sides, seeking some form of release. Sesshomaru winced, seizing a handful of the Half-demon's silver mane, tugging it back roughly to make the boy meet his eyes. Glistening doe eyes met his stare, their colour a dark _violet_, so expressive of their helpless pain as well as the source of it.

"Inuyasha," said Sesshomaru, voice betraying a slither of his anxiety, "your eyes."

Inuyasha blinked dark eyes at him, not sure what he meant.  
"My-"  
"Eyes – your eyes are dark."

No sooner had the words registered in his mind, than silver tresses grew jet-black, ears receding into his skull. A nasty sliding sensation ran down his face as they reappeared as normal mortal ones either side of his head.

Suddenly the pain twisted, his body arced, hands releasing Sesshomaru in favour of clutching his lower regions. It felt wrong. Skin and body stretched, threatening to tear. Something moved – something of _his_ moved, it wasn't the pup…

"Takara!" Sesshomaru called, laying his mate back onto the bed, wincing as the _'human's'_ fingers clung to him, managing to pry them off long enough to begin tugging the yukata from his younger brother's body. Something was hurting him, and undoubtedly his pup, and he had a horrible suspicion as for what it was. "Damn," Sesshomaru muttered, giving up on the difficult knot and slicing through the material. He tossed the folds of the material away from the small body that convulsed, curling into itself in an attempt to turn to the side. Sesshomaru growled, turning Inuyasha onto back. He froze. In the space of that extended moment the _'human's'_ screams died, heavy, pained breaths the only thing that came from Inuyasha as his chest rose and fell with his breathing.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

The Demon Lord did not turn to Takara's voice as he stormed into the room. Azure eyes widened at the sight that met them, and the Demon darted forwards to his Lords' side. "What is the matter?" he asked. "Is it the pup?" But he found his answer on the bed, still recovering from the pain to realise Takara was now looking over his naked form as well as Sesshomaru. "Oh…" said Takara distantly, tearing his eyes away once he realised he was staring. Sesshomaru straightened up; dropping the blankets over his brother to conceal what remained of his tattered modesty and pride.

Sesshomaru raised his head slowly, his eyes locking with Takara's. "It appears, Sire," Takara whispered, taking advantage of Inuyasha's inferior mortal senses, "as though his ingenious body has found a way for the pup to survive inside of him during his human transformations."

Sesshomaru sat back, an odd expression on his face. "How could I not see…? I did not think… I did not even ponder the fact that it is Inuyasha's _demon_ blood that gives him the ability to carry young, and on the nights where he is human…" His voice was strange – self-berating. Takara frowned at the sound of it, regarding the Demon Lord closely.

"Despite that, My Lord, it appears that Inuyasha and the pup are both okay. Your brother is perfectly built indeed."

Sesshomaru inclined his head slightly to look upon his brother. "I do not believe he will see it in such a way when he sees…"

Takara offered him a tired smile. "The only one that is in the position to assist him in that is you, Lord Sesshomaru."

The Demon arced a brow. "I thought you were my advisor…"

Gathering himself to his feet, the servant smiled. "I will see if there is anything that will help Inuyasha with the pain of his reverse transformation."

* * *

Inuyasha's eyes fluttered open. Something felt…not right about his body. Upon regaining the focus upon the world Inuyasha jumped slightly as he found his brother's face all-too close to his own. "How are you feeling?" asked Sesshomaru impassively. Inuyasha frowned.  
"Dunno…weird… What happened?"  
"I see you forgot as well as I - it is the moonless night. You transformed into a human," Sesshomaru explained. Inuyasha yawned nodding slightly a he allowed his head to fall back to resting on Sesshomaru's chest. The Demon Lord waited, and sure enough…

"Hang on a sec – what about the pup? I passed out didn't I? I remember the pain – what the hell happened to me?" It would never cease to amaze Sesshomaru how quickly Inuyasha could change between extremes. To go from being so mellow to so panicked and anxious was a talent indeed.  
"Takara and I established the pup and you are fine. Your body, it appears is more blessed than I had first anticipated."

Inuyasha grimaced as he leant up on his elbows to better look at his brother. "What do you mean?" he asked warily, disliking the look in his brother's eyes. Sesshomaru paused for a moment, permitting a thoughtful silence before answering.  
"I would ask you not to panic when you see this-"  
"-See what?" asked Inuyasha cautiously, not liking where this was going.  
"It appears that whilst you carry, your human transformations will differ in order to accommodate the pup."

Inuyasha blinked, evidently still deciphering what his words had meant. However, it became all too obvious when he did comprehend their meaning…

The Half-demon held his gaze, sitting up slowly. If the situation had not been so serious, it may have been amusing to see the Half-demon raise the sheets to look down at himself. For a moment he didn't move. Sesshomaru frowned, pressing his weight onto his arms in order to regard his brother carefully.

"I'm twisted…" Inuyasha breathed.

Sesshomaru frowned. "What do you-"  
"-I'm…I'm unnatural…" the _'human'_ interrupted, his voice growing louder, still avoiding his brother's eyes. "…a freak of nature… I'm not one or the other! I don't belong to the human or demon world and now I don't even belong to a specific _gender_!"

The Demon Lord reached for him, spurred by the odd need to comfort him, though Inuyasha pulled away. "You belong somewhere – you belong here-"  
"-With _you_? This is all your fault!" He turned from his brother, holding one of the many sheets around himself as he escaped Sesshomaru and the bed. His fury was betrayed by his mark and his gaze that never left the his mate, who was watching him strangely.

"I thought you were coming to accept the pup's presence-"  
"-This isn't about the pup! It's about you and how you're stripping away everything that's _remotely_ masculine about me! You _want_ me to be some freakish effeminate guy don't you? Why the fuck didn't you screw a girl in the first place!"

Suddenly Sesshomaru darted forwards, seizing his brother's arms. The human flinched, turning his head away in mortification as the sheet shielding his nudity pooled at his feet. But Sesshomaru paid it no attention.

"You were _born_ with this body. Whether you had been with me or not this would have still happened. You cannot divert the blame to me every time something in your life does not go the way you plan." Inuyasha still refused to meet his eyes, and that disturbed him more than he liked. But what unnerved him even further was the emotions radiating off his sibling. Again that uncharacteristic urge to quell those fears and insecurities swelled in his chest, until it was all-but suffocating him. He needed these feelings to stop. He needed Inuyasha to stop, and listen to him for once in his life.

"And I did not take a female because _you_ were the one that caught my interest. These tiresome thoughts, these emotions will _stop_, Inuyasha-"  
"No they don't stop! They never stop!" Inuyasha screamed, shoving the taller male away from him. "It's easy for a respected, powerful, beautiful _demon_ to say that! _This_-" He gestured to the temporarily distorted place between his legs, where his limp member barely covered the all-too feminine addition to his anatomy that lay beneath. "-This is just another thing that makes you just that bit more better – more impressive than me!"

"It is to my understanding that there _are_ in fact mortals who must carry this burden their whole lives in a society that are much less accepting of such things. Does that not offer you some prospective? A mere night once a month for four months is not so insufferable in comparison, is it?"

Inuyasha paused, inclining his head to look upon him carefully, though said nothing.

Sesshomaru permitted an exhausted sigh to drift past his lips, resting back into the bed once more. "Whether you elect to believe me or not, _you_ are the most remarkable creature I have ever known… That is why I chose you." The Demon nearly bit his lip then. He had revealed far more than originally intended. And Inuyasha stared at him thoughtfully – watching as he (Sesshomaru) leant back into the sheets. "Come back to bed, Inuyasha," he said tiredly, the words permeating the air for some time before they persuaded the younger sibling to do as he was asked.

The warmth of Sesshomaru and the bed greeted his exhausted body. Dropping his head on his brother's chest, Inuyasha's eyes scanned the dimness thoughtfully as he allowed the Demon's heartbeat to thud dully against his human ears.

"How many more different forms can one guy have?" Inuyasha muttered, his usual gruffness returning to his voice. "I'm a human, I'm a demon, I'm a half-demon, now I'm a fucking hermaphrodite?"

Sesshomaru frowned, clawed fingers sifting through ebony locks, testing the texture as he spoke. "Where did you learn that word?" he asked quietly.  
"What, _'fuck'_?"  
"You know very well which word," Sesshomaru demanded quietly. Inuyasha shrugged.  
"Kagome told me – she learnt a lot of weird stuff at that school place… It means a person who-"  
"-I am aware of its meaning, Inuyasha." It was Inuyasha's turn to frown in response.  
"Kagome told me that some words weren't invented until her-" he stopped, catching himself before he betrayed her secret, not that it mattered now that the Dry Well was rendered useless… His frown, far from disappearing only deepened when he realised – how did _Sesshomaru_ know what it meant?

"How do you-"  
"-Know?" Sesshomaru finished for him, not realising the way clawed fingers had abandoned the human's hair, and proceeded to dance over his brother's back in barely there, flickering touches that roused an oddly _demonic_ purr from Inuyasha. "It is a demonic word; I imagine the humans in your Priestess's era eventually took it from us."

Inuyasha shot up, arms supporting him as he stared into those eyes.  
"How do you know about Kagome's era? Who told you?" He asked, panicked. Sesshomaru smirked.  
"I deciphered the mystery myself. Did you honestly believe that Kagome was the only one with the ability to travel through time? There have been many before – Demons and humans alike." When Inuyasha made neither movement nor response, Sesshomaru continued. "Of course that is over time. There are very few who can do so born into each generation. And even fewer who can do so without the aid of something else – such as the Dry Well for example…" He could feel Inuyasha's panic thudding madly in his head, and his smirk broadened, his brother honestly was the most volatile creature he had ever come across.

"So…so people travel across time a lot then?" Inuyasha asked quietly. Sesshomaru pressed carefully on the small of his brother's back, until he resumed his position against his side.  
"No, I am merely saying that the priestess is not the only one that can…"  
"Could," Inuyasha corrected quietly. Sesshomaru frowned, both at his brother's response and at the boy's heart-wrenching misery fogging his mind.  
"What do you mean?" the Demon asked. Inuyasha sighed, violet eyes staring out into the dark room once more.  
"She had to leave and close the well, so she could get rid of the jewel… That's why she left…"

Sesshomaru remained outwardly impassive, though inside his head swam with Inuyasha's thoughts as well as his own, desperately searching for what to say in response.  
"I see," he said, not finding anything else that would not send his brother hurtling from the room. Though as he spoke, a thought occurred to him, fighting its way from amongst the many others to the forefront of his mind. Inuyasha was not thinking about his body – himself any longer, he'd been distracted.

This time, his claws intentionally stroked down his brother's spine, soothing the boy softly. An odd warmth swelled in his chest as he felt the human's sadness flow from his mind. "It is good then, is it not?" he asked. Inuyasha snorted.  
"Yeah," he answered bitterly, "real good…"  
"That is, her only reason for leaving was the jewel. She did not _wish_ to leave you."

Inuyasha said nothing, but a small flicker of some unnameable, foreign emotion told Sesshomaru he'd understood.

"You should feel proud she took her position and duty so seriously. Such selflessness in a human is honourable-"  
"-What'd you know about selflessness… You're a selfish bastard," Inuyasha spat, sore from the subject of Kagome. Sesshomaru said nothing to this, though a prickle of irritation shot up his spine.  
"I do, however, know something about honour."  
"Keh," mumbled Inuyasha, "_'honour'_ my foot…" Sesshomaru ignored him. He was very practised at ignoring things. With enough effort he was sure Inuyasha's sarcastic remarks or indecent mutterings would become ignorable – after all he _had_ ignored Inuyasha's very _existence_ for the first few years of his life.

Realising that the Demon Lord wasn't going to respond to his words, Inuyasha sighed, turning fully onto his side, stomach pressed against his brother's hip in an attempt to steal his body heat. He shifted his legs awkwardly. The place between his legs felt strange. It took a few moments of adjusting himself until he could stop what Sesshomaru tended to call _'ceaseless fidgeting'_. His newly acquired feminine entrance that lay between his member and backside felt…just what it was, he supposed – out of place. He could not wait for the morning to come so that his body would return to normal and he could go to sleep…

"Drink this, Inuyasha."

The Human looked up to find his brother passing him a flask, brimming with a forebodingly clear liquid. Inuyasha sat up a little, griping that he was being shifted from his comfortable position after taking so long to find it. He took the drink, offering it a cautionary sniff.

"Takara made it for you, it should help you to stay calm during the next transformation – when you transform back," Sesshomaru said, answering the boy's unasked question. Inuyasha nodded, and (as predicted) tipped his head back, downing it in a few gulps. Sesshomaru was a little surprised that no sooner had his brother pressed the glass into his hands, he settled back at his side once more.

_It appears that being in close proximity of me is not bothering him as much as it did before, _Sesshomaru thought, setting the glass aside and resting back into the sheets.

He could feel the pull of sleep. A Demon of course could stay awake for days, even _weeks_ without feeling the effects, though lying there in the dimness caused a blanket of tiredness to fall over him. But he couldn't sleep. The sound would rise soon, and Inuyasha would need his support. 'Support'? When had he come to think Inuyasha needed that from him? Or wanted it? He frowned, blinking back sleep.

_Since he called out to me,_ Sesshomaru thought, recalling Inuyasha's screams but a short while ago, when he had first transformed…

Looking down the Demon Lord saw his brother's eyes closed, a peaceful look that only slumber brought to his features lingering there, as the boy rose and fell with his every breath. It appeared Takara's remedy was something to put him to sleep during the transformation. _Quite astute_, Sesshomaru thought distantly, brushing aside rebellious obsidian hair from his brother's sleeping face.

And the sun rose. The brilliant light escaped into the room, highlighting dark hair as it faded into glistening silver, each strand capturing the first rays of the sun. Those ears had returned, the source of the small smile that brewed on his lips. His brother's face contorted slightly, though he did not stir and claws returned to their normal length on the loose fist that lay on his chest beside Inuyasha's head. _Takara really is the most remarkable person in my servitude, _he thought, as his brother slept through what had been an agonising torture for him before, not even vaguely aware of its occurrence.

Sesshomaru smirked tiredly upon realising his brother had not even awoken during this transformation (thanks to Takara's magical herbal remedies). _It may just have been the first transformation he has ever slept through,_ thought Sesshomaru as slumber eventually took him.

Inuyasha yawned widely as he stirred, blinking away the sleep from his eyes and propping himself up to stare into the ethereal appearance of his sleeping brother. His body was normal again, he did not have to look down at himself to realise that, the first of the sun's rays bathing the two in the bed combined with _feeling_ his regular anatomy was in place, was all he needed to know that Sesshomaru and Takara had been correct.

Still watching his brother he titled his head slightly, confused as to his brother's words and actions from the night before. With a frown creasing his brow, Inuyasha leant down, grazing his lips over a crimson-marked cheek. "Thanks…I guess…" he murmured awkwardly, returning to his position against his brother's side. He supposed living with Sesshomaru would not be so unbearable if he would continue to consider him the way he was now (even if he knew that was a characteristic impossibility for his brother). But despite everything else, he had that consideration and mock affection now, and that was better than nothing.

No sooner had his eyes closed than they opened again with irritating realisation at what the building pressure in his bladder meant. He needed to pee – _again._

TBC

A/N: Likey? Well Its just something I thought I needed to address. Ya know, Human Inuyasha pregnant. Something that needed to be dealt with. And also something that will help Sesshomaru and Inuyasha move a bit further. Sorry for those that wanted a lemon, just thought I'd suprise ya by not being a pervert for once, I'll write one soon dont worry ^_^ Okay well I'm well into the next chapter already - you wont be dissapointed muahahaha... Review please!

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	20. I Will Never Forsake You

Author's Note:  
Heya! Well a nice long one today. I think I'll upload two as well. I quite like it. it's full of angst, fluffiness and a nice suprise you may just like muahahaha! Neways, not much to say, got SO much work to do, please enjoy and review!

Enjoy and Review Please!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty  
I Will Never Forsake You**

Time drew slowly on, the pup grew bigger, and therefore so did Inuyasha and his mood swings, which Sesshomaru had begun to like less and less with each new tantrum.

The Demon Lord opened the door to his and Inuyasha's chambers, staring into the dim room as he closed the door behind him. The sheets were a tangled mess, laid across a large mound on the bed that was Inuyasha. The Demon Lord strode across the room, opening the shutters at the window and allowing the dazzling sunlight to stream in, rousing an irritated groan from the mound on the bed.

"Argh!" Inuyasha mumbled, pulling the covers tighter over his head. A smirk reached Sesshomaru's lips, as he made his way over to the bed, staring down at the pile of covers, that grunted when he pulled them back, to reveal the displeased sleepy face of Inuyasha.

"It's time for lunch, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said impassively, holding the covers up and staring down at his mate – who was still glaring at him.  
"What part of Takara saying 'he must rest' do you not understand?" he growled at him, Sesshomaru remaining unfazed.  
"Indeed, however you need something in that stomach of yours. My pup will not starve to death on account of your laziness."Sesshomaru sneered as Inuyasha yawned widely, and he dropped the covers back over the Half-demon's face.

"Ya know, that's overreacting," Inuyasha mumbled, sitting up as Sesshomaru made his way across the room, looking through the wardrobe. "The pup ain't gonna starve – moron… I eat like a horse! And I'm as big as a house! If I'm not starving how can the pup be?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer, merely plucked out a dark crimson, silk kimono from the wardrobe and laid it across the end of the bed. "You will wear this for today; it is a little looser than that fire-rat garb you are so attached to."

Inuyasha muttered incoherently under his breath, the jumbled words sounding horribly like cursing, though Sesshomaru ignored it.

"I ain't that fat yet, jackass…"

The Demon Lord paused, considering him with a raised brow. "You are nearing your full term – fatness is not the issue, but the pup is almost fully grown and wearing tight clothes could harm it – so wear this."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, straightening up and saluting him sarcastically.

"Indeed," Sesshomaru muttered, walking across the room to change his own clothes. "Furthermore it is lighter than your current kimono, you will feel a lot cooler in it," he explained. Inuyasha rolled his eyes as his older brother continued speaking, getting to his feet and manoeuvring over to the washbasin, splashing the cool water over his face. "I know you keep having hot flashes."  
"Oh, whatever," Inuyasha growled, irritated by Sesshomaru's fussing. Admittedly he enjoyed the attention a lot of the time, but thanks to his pregnancy, today was one of the days where it just annoyed him.

"Ayane will be starting work on your garments for the Midsummer's Eve Gathering soon. Oh, and our presence will be required at the residence of the demon Takehiko in a few days. Just to fore-warn you of the long journey ahead."

Inuyasha nodded tiredly, washing himself down, still wearing his sleeping yukata. For reasons he knew all too well, he'd been feeling more and more exhausted more easily lately, and it was such an effort to move around thanks to the extra weight he was carrying. His body was prone to hot flashes, where he came over all flustered and dizzy. It was because of this that Sesshomaru had ordered lighter sheets to dress the bed, told him to relax, and sleep in as long as he wanted (not that he complained), and it had been so for a few weeks now. But by far the best part (not that he'd let Sesshomaru know) was having his brother's full attention and dedication almost all the time.

The Half-demon blushed sheepishly recalling some more recent times where he'd have Sesshomaru summoned to his side for no particular reason at all. The Demon Lord didn't use him for sex, but simply sat with him, and if this wasn't Sesshomaru he was talking about, he might have even said that he nearly doted on him. _It's all down to this pup, _he thought, almost sadly, caressing his stomach for a moment, his back to Sesshomaru. _And I'll just be his fuck toy again when this is all over… _

Suddenly, he jumped. Two warm arms snaking around his waist, the backs of clawed fingers tracing feather-light over his swollen stomach. Inuyasha flushed, allowing the touch momentarily and unconsciously leaning back into the warmth of Sesshomaru's chest. "You seem bothered by something," Sesshomaru said impassively, "What seems to be wrong? Are you in pain?"

Inuyasha's tongue darted out to wet his lips, only wishing this concern was for him, and not just for the pup. "No… Mostly just uncomfortable… It feels so…tight in there all the time…" There was a short pause before Sesshomaru responded.  
"Takara said that the pup itself is tiny, that it is due to the fact that you have both male and female organs that it feels…tighter than perhaps it would for a female – and that, even in females, it always feel tighter with the first pregnancy." The roaming fingers stroked over his navel, which had recently flipped inside-out, and his stomach recoiled instinctively at the tickling sensation.

"You always have lunch sent up for us," Inuyasha said, trying to distract Sesshomaru from his awkward blush. "Why do I have to go down?"  
"Because a turn about your garden might do you some good," he replied, drawing away from Inuyasha slowly when he felt embarrassment seep into his scent. Inuyasha turned, moving past him to dress in the kimono he'd laid across the bed for him.

_Yeah, 'cause that's all that he wants,_ the half-demon thought distantly. Pulling on the thankfully loose hakama with great difficulty, he recalled the gardens Sesshomaru had had tended to for him on their ceremony night, so he could feel the benefits of nature whilst in his 'condition' without having to leave the castle grounds (and so Sesshomaru could overlook him when he was in his study, he supposed).

"Also, I have someone I wish for you to meet…"

Inuyasha stopped as he was about to pull on the soft hakama. He hadn't liked the way Sesshomaru said that – as if he was worried how he'd react to it. "What?" he asked warily, "Who?"

Sesshomaru postponed the moment when he would have to answer, taking the kimono from Inuyasha's hands, and drawing it over the half-demon's shoulders. He did not meet those eyes as he helped him dress in it.

"Takara and I have been discussing something that…has been worrying us both for a time now…ever since you conceived in fact," Sesshomaru began warily. Inuyasha frowned, attempting to catch his brother's eye, though failing with Sesshomaru so distracted by tying the obi gently round him. "We do not believe (judging by past cases such as yours) that you will be able to produce food for the pup naturally, so, we have at last found a solution to that problem…" Again, his voice was tinged with a slight anxiety of how Inuyasha might react, which had Inuyasha worried himself. His frown increased when Sesshomaru met his eyes at last.

"We have decided upon the option of wet-nursing." At this, Inuyasha looked confused. "I have interviewed many potentials, and have since found the one who can be trusted with such a task. She was an acquaintance of Father's, and was often around when I was younger." When Inuyasha still looked confused, Sesshomaru elaborated. "Wet-nursing is the process of a woman breast feeding a baby that is not of her own body." It seemed to take Inuyasha a moment to comprehend what he was saying, but when he did, the reaction was the complete opposite to what he'd imagined…

"Oh and _'we'_ decided this did _'we'_?" Inuyasha sneered, turning away to fold his discarded sleeping garments distractedly at the bottom of the bed, not looking at Sesshomaru. "_'We'_ being you and Takara I suppose?" He growled under his breath, looking around the room for something – anything that would catch his eye, so he wouldn't have to look at this…_asshole_ in front of him!

"Where the hell do you get off deciding something like that for my pup?" he spat. Sesshomaru sneered at his Little brother's words.  
"Strange, I vividly recall being a large part in the conception – perhaps that was where I got the idea I could decide on something to keep our pup alive," he retorted sharply, his calmness slipping swiftly and falling prey to rage. He was tiring of these irritating mood-swings.

"It's in _my_ stomach – its screwing up _my_ body – making _me_ sick and dizzy – and _I'm_ the one that has to push it out of a hole over four times too small – I think my opinion should be considered in something like this!"  
"You have no opinion because it goes without saying – our pup needs to eat, and if you cannot provide that food we must look elsewhere." When Inuyasha merely scowled, Sesshomaru felt his mate's anger bubbling to the surface, and recalled Takara's (rather condescending) instructions to _'under no condition – irritate – tease – hurt – yell at – upset – or anger Inuyasha when he was pregnant.'_ Sesshomaru wasn't certain, but he was quite sure he'd managed to do all of those in the last few moments.

"You have yet to even give her a chance," Sesshomaru said, a little more softly than before, touching Inuyasha's arm gently. The Half-demon shook him off angrily, and he frowned in response. He didn't see why Inuyasha was getting so upset. Most royal mothers would be pleased that their mate was so quick to find someone suitable to feed their pup instead of them – so they could keep their figures and not bother having to wake all the time to feed it, (not to mention so they would not be emotionally and physically weakened by allowing the pup to feed of their demonic energy through the nursing).

"I am offering you the opportunity to meet her, and if you dislike her, we will find someone else – but there must be _someone_, Inuyasha…that is all there is to it."

Inuyasha didn't meet his eyes, though did not refuse or pull away when Sesshomaru directed him towards the door. He simply followed him out silently, never raising his gaze from the floor.

Descending the stairs, Inuyasha held onto the banister, each step quite the effort. Sesshomaru smirked as he watched Inuyasha's free arm come to cradle his slightly bulging stomach. "Do you require some assistance, Inuyasha?" the Half-demon turned away from him, which only confused Sesshomaru more, and he didn't like being confused. He'd been nice to Inuyasha, he'd done everything he could, he'd been at his beck-and-call and now he was being ignored? He just didn't understand…

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Inuyasha sighed, breathing slightly heavy as Sesshomaru paused beside him, gesturing forwards, to the person standing not a few feet from them. "Inuyasha, allow me to introduce you to Kokoro." At Sesshomaru's words, the woman turned. Long, wavy, obsidian hair spilled over her shoulders, only tied up loosely at the back, and rose-pink lips quirked into a courteous smile. Her delicate fingers held up the pale-pink kimono slightly, as she bowed low to the two brothers.  
"Good afternoon, My Lords," she said, her dulcet voice smoothing over Inuyasha's ears, though he did not lose any of the stiff, difficultness from his posture, nor did he smile in return.

When she straightened up, she glanced politely at the two of them, still smiling amiably. "Lord Inuyasha?" she asked, awaiting his response, though he offered her no such thing. "I am Kokoro, it is so wonderful to finally meet you, you look-" she looked him over slowly, "-less like your father than I had imagined…" To this, Inuyasha frowned, not sure whether to be offended or not. "You are much sweeter looking. There is…more of the warm, softness of Lady Izayoi about your features as opposed to the sharp, defined appearance your father and Sesshomaru possess." Again, Inuyasha said nothing, although the mention of both his parents had him listening a little more now. In this castle people who had known and spoke well of his father were hardly scarce – but meeting someone (particularly a demoness) who flattered both himself and his mother was…different.

"I certainly hope your pup has those lovely ears of yours," she continued, the honest smile never leaving her lips. Inuyasha snorted, folding his arms uncomfortably in his hitoe sleeves.  
"Keh, I don't…who wants to look like a stinkin' half-breed?" Inuyasha growled. Sesshomaru touched his shoulder, attempting to convey some form of support to his mate that was suddenly screaming despair in his connection between their marks. "The thing will be luckier if it looks like Sesshomaru, I'd rather have it that way… It'll be easier for it…"  
"Don't call the pup a 'thing', Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said, as gently as possible.  
"What do want me to call it? We don't know what it is, so you want me to call it _her/he_ or something?" Sesshomaru would have rolled his eyes, but he didn't.  
"Of course it is male – there have always been males in father's line." Inuyasha didn't even dignify this with a response, he couldn't be bothered, he just wanted to go back to sleep, things were just generally less complicated when he was unconscious.

"So," said Kokoro at last, breaking the sudden silence. "Is there anything you would like to see, Lord Inuyasha?" A frown creased Inuyasha's brow, not really understanding what she'd meant.  
"She is referring to her body, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru elaborated, "most aristocratic mothers wish to see if the potential nurse is capable of feeding the pup."

Suddenly, Inuyasha realised what he meant, and flushed a dark red. "Y-You want me to look at her breasts?" Kokoro giggled at Inuyasha's embarrassment, the soft noise drawing his attention to deep crimson eyes, as she looked at him carefully. "And I ain't a _mother_, damn you…" he added, talking to Sesshomaru, though still watching Kokoro thoughtfully.  
"You would have to see my breasts anyway whilst I was feeding, Lord Inuyasha," the Demoness told him, her voice still so smooth and gentle. "That is…if I have the job."

Inuyasha stared at her momentarily, before shrugging. "Whatever, I don't care, _'The Bastard'_ can do what he wants," he mumbled, before stalking off. She and Sesshomaru watched him as he walked away, Kokoro frowning slightly.  
"Did he just call me a-"  
"-No," Sesshomaru cut her off, "that was directed at me. Excuse me." He bowed his head to her, before following after Inuyasha.

"That was exceedingly rude, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru stated as he caught him up, refraining from touching him. He realised that the Half-demon had made it very clear he didn't want any contact.  
"Find someone who gives a crap…" Inuyasha retorted. Pursuing him out into the sun-drenched gardens that he'd given Inuyasha, Sesshomaru paused as he watched Inuyasha sit down on the bench that stood near the small stream that ran through the grounds. An emotion he didn't like at all throbbed in his mating mark, and he refrained from lowering himself on the bench beside his brother to offer him some form of comfort – even if he wasn't at all sure how to do such a thing.

"What did you think of Kokoro?" Sesshomaru asked, trying to wring some form of sound from Inuyasha besides that confounded occasional sigh. Inuyasha stared thoughtfully at the bark of the cherry-blossom tree standing not far from them, finding some odd sort of comfort in the way the branches swayed slightly under the gentle force of the light breeze.

"She's not bad looking," the Half-demon confessed quietly, not sounding at all like himself. He ran his hands over his stomach gently, treasuring the precious life within for a moment, as he felt a light kick graze his insides. "She smiles a lot, she's polite, and she's nice I suppose… I hate her…"  
Sesshomaru frowned. "I believe you are-"  
"-I thought you had changed, but you still don't know anything about me – you still don't understand…" Before Sesshomaru could ask what he meant by that, Inuyasha stood (with great effort), his composure completely changed – less dejected than before, though the smirk at his lips was still obviously forced. "I'm hungry, lets eat something," he said, and Sesshomaru nodded, standing aside for Inuyasha to move first, and he followed him back inside slowly.

Not surprisingly, Inuyasha avoided the subject of Kokoro for the next few days. Sesshomaru had come to realise that this was Inuyasha's way of dealing with things, and also how he recovered from arguments. Whilst pretending upsetting events never happened was a rather childish technique, the oder sibling was forced to relish in it due to many factors. One was the blissful silence, another the pressure of the impending midsummer's eve gathering, and many _many_ more. Though the most trying, he had to admit was this heat he was suffering through. He was expected to attend his royal duties, spend time with Inuyasha, find Hikireimaru and _all_ whilst suffering the unbearable inferno of his heat, and with Inuyasha in his current condition, there was no safe way to alleviate the inner ache.

_"A heat once you are mated is worse for some reason Sire," _Takara had explained to him, Sesshomaru merely repressing a snarl badly in response. It was insufferable of his servant to remain so calm and collected when he felt himself was struggling to not allow his instincts to take over and tear into the next room and release his forbidden urges on his little brother.

A full demon may have been able to take it in their stride, the pup remaining unharmed, but Sesshomaru couldn't take the risk of setting his demon loose on a Half-demon, the bigger Inuyasha grew with the pup the more dangerous certain things (like sex) could be.

He growled under his breath at the irritating truth, his only escape from the building tension in his aching limbs (hat felt as if they were burning yet freezing at the same time) was the swift relief of his own hand, and anything that Takara could brew for him – the tonics offering some temporary relief in which he could attempt to get some work done. Except lately he could be with Inuyasha or in his office, not both – the Half-demon less and less content to sit still the more difficult moving became. _Irritating brat_ – that was something Sesshomaru found himself thinking on more than one occasion lately. _Lately_, things had become increasingly difficult…

Nevertheless, Inuyasha was his responsibility, and if he wanted to make sure that he was not to (in any way): "irritate – tease – hurt – yell at – upset or anger Inuyasha when he is pregnant" then the ungrateful little Half-demon would have to receive the majority of his time. The irritating sulking over the 'forgotten' Kokoro incident had subsided somewhat, and he was normal again – as normal as Inuyasha could get, that is. He was all but spoiled these past weeks, and was relishing in every moment most of the time. Though in others (thanks to his pregnancy) he was an unreasonable, _unbearable_ brat. Sesshomaru had pretended not to hear Nannami mutter (most audibly) _'just like Lord Sesshomaru at times…'_

Time spent with Inuyasha was not entirely unbearable for him however, (though he would never admit it). He would allow Inuyasha to sleep in as long as he wanted, had lunch sent up for him and either sat with him in their chambers or else accompanied him through the forest, or the gardens.

It had been Inuyasha's anxiety in being seen by so many people that stopped them from venturing into the market again, but Sesshomaru did not argue. With his swollen stomach showing clearly through anything he wore, Inuyasha was well within his rights to claim he didn't feel like a man anymore, and until he did, wanted to avoid overly crowded places, filled with people that kept trying to touch his stomach, or else emitted bitter, twisted whispers Sesshomaru had henceforth forbidden within the castle walls.

The demonesses that had 'assisted him to dress' the evening of their blessing ceremony had never been seen again for some reason (that Inuyasha guessed all too well), and with Sesshomaru never far from his side recently, he never had the opportunity to test whether his brother would force 'dressing servants' on him again, as he took up the task himself whenever Inuyasha couldn't manage.

Owing to all the time he'd spent with Inuyasha over the last few weeks however, Sesshomaru had unintentionally allowed his legal affairs to build up, leading to him having to spend the entirety of the last couple of days shut away in his study. This, in turn, led to Inuyasha now venturing down the stairs with difficulty, heading towards the room that his brother had been confined to by his unconquerable workload.

Inuyasha winced as he rested his hand against the wall to steady his movements down the hall. He wasn't quite used to the new weight to his body, and occasionally he was overcome by an assault of dizziness that caused him to lose his balance. He paused, regaining his composure as he made his silent way towards the door that stood slightly ajar – he could hear voices coming from inside...

"…he is launching attacks on all lesser villages within our lands – they do not even harbour half-demons anymore, this is a random attack-"  
"-Hikireimaru is not launching random assaults on the villages. He is trying to draw me out, and test my patience. Regardless of whether the villages themselves contain half-demons or not, he is doing this to get to me."

Inuyasha lingered behind the slightly opened door, listening to the conversation. The other demon seemed to just stare at Sesshomaru with disbelief.  
"It is about that Half-demon, is it not?" The Demon asked. Sesshomaru remained unmoved by the statement.  
"Indeed, I believe it is about Inuyasha."  
"So give him to Hikireimaru – that demon is ruthless, My Lord, you know as well as I that once he sets his sight on something he will do nothing but plunder and slaughter everything in his path until he has what he desires."

The Demon Lord looked thoughtful for a moment, finally looking up from the papers he was signing, and regarding the man with a strange look. "I cannot do that," he said at last, setting down his writing implement. Inuyasha heard an irritated growl pass from the other demon's lips.  
"He is so precious to you? My Lord, I know he cannot mean anything more than a chamber servant-"  
"-That is enough, Lord Hachirou, have you forgotten that this _'half-demon'_ you are so quick to offer up as a sacrifice is carrying _my_ offspring?"

Hachirou seemed a little taken aback by the slight annoyance in Sesshomaru's words, but quickly found himself again. "If that is all he is to you, have him birth the pup then promise him to Hikireimaru – a used entrance is worthless in any case. He is useless to you once the pup is born. Why would you wish to bed something that has been so…_misshapen_ by carrying this infant?"

Inuyasha frowned, flinching a little at the insult, the words sending a small prickle of hurt through his skin...

"Is there something you desire, Inuyasha?" His brother's voice directed at him made the Half-demon jump slightly. Recovering himself quickly, he seized the door-handle, stepping inside. Hachirou turned to face him, bowing slightly in feigned politeness. Inuyasha made no sign of noticing the man that had just said such cruel things about him, and merely closed the door behind him as Sesshomaru's fiery eyes silently beckoned him forwards. "Is there a reason you are out of bed? I would have thought you would be asleep," The Demon Lord asked impassively, still gesturing for Inuyasha to come forward. The Half-demon moved around the desk unsurely, stopping before Sesshomaru, who snaked an arm around his waist, pulling him forwards to span the gap between them.

"I er…came to talk about something is all," Inuyasha said, feeling a little foolish. A smirk met Sesshomaru's lips. The hand that wasn't wrapped around the Half-demon's hips rested across the slightly bulging stomach, fingers splaying gently over the flesh through the kimono. Inuyasha could not help but feel it was more for Lord Hachirou's benefit than anything else.  
"I will be finished soon. If you would care to wait, you are welcome to use the daybed." Half-heartedly pulling back from those almost affectionate hands, Inuyasha moved over to the settee near the roaring fireplace, lowering himself to it with no little amount of difficulty, and cradling his slightly swollen stomach as if to protect it from Hachirou's gaze, as the demon watched him carefully.

"What then, Lord Sesshomaru, do you intend to do about Hikireimaru?" The Demon inquired, finally tearing his eyes away from the half-demon laying nearby. Sesshomaru continued to sign the papers in front of him, not looking up at Hachirou as he replied.  
"Leaving my castle currently is exactly what that impudent pest wishes. I will send scouts and guards to more vulnerable villages, and any villagers who have been attacked thus far will be housed in the castle town until such a time as their homes can be rebuilt. You may disagree with my decisions if you wish, but Hikireimaru is _my_ problem, Lord Hachirou, and not a trouble to your lands. I must therefore ask you to respect my decision."

Hachirou let out an exasperated sigh, gaze flickering nervously to Inuyasha (who now had allowed his eyes to flutter closed as he drifted into a light doze) before looking to Sesshomaru once more. "Your father would not have wanted to throw his lands away for sake of a half-breed."

Sesshomaru got to his feet swiftly, golden eyes boring into Hachirou's from across the room. "Be careful, Lord Hachirou," he warned, "that _'half-breed'_ you speak of so callously is my brother and mate – I am not forsaking my father's lands – Hikireimaru is not interested in them – he desires Inuyasha, nothing more."  
"And if he burns the West to the ground to get what he wants? Would you disregard your father's wishes so?" The Hachirou spat. Sesshomaru remained impassive, though his inner-demon throbbed with a violent need to swipe at this offensive creature before him.

"Do not pretend to know my father better than I. He cared more for Inuyasha than anything – and he made his choice to throw away his lands when he went to battle with Takemaru that night. My father would have given anything for us, so do not attempt to perceive him as an egotistical fool. Regardless, I do not intend to let Hikireimaru run free. When he cannot draw me out with these childish attacks he will come to the castle – and make no mistake of it, Lord Hachirou, the next time I see Hikireimaru, I will kill him. You have no need to worry."

Hachirou sighed heavily. "Indeed, Lord Sesshomaru. I do not question your strength or skill. I merely do not wish to see you fall prey to the same foolish love of _Inuyasha_."  
"_Lord_ Inuyasha," Sesshomaru corrected stiffly, resuming his seat and beginning to sign the papers once more. "He is my mate and brother, if you hold any respect for me, Lord Hachirou, you should give him the respect and title he deserves."  
"Indeed, My Lord," Hachirou replied, making his way towards the door. "I had no wish to offend… Is the Mid-summer's eve gathering coming along well?"  
"To be sure," Sesshomaru answered, "Takara is assisting in the organisation of the festivities. Might I ask if there are any further births or couples to be blessed?" Hachirou shook his head.  
"No additional ones, seems a lot of them will be searching for partners at the celebrations."  
"I am glad I will not be one of them any longer," Sesshomaru responded, noting that Hachirou paused in the doorway at the statement, the door hanging open before him.

"You are certain of this new pairing between Lord Inuyasha and yourself then?" The Demon Lord raised his eyes to Hachirou.  
"Certainly. He can give me strong heirs, and he is more powerful and indeed physically blessed than most females. Though after all the trouble I endured in courting him I do not intend to forsake him and use him as a mere concubine or breeding entity."  
"There are many beautiful demonesses who would gladly mate you, My Lord."  
Sesshomaru smirked, gaze flickering to Inuyasha briefly.  
"Yes, I am aware, though Inuyasha is the one I want, and Inuyasha is the one I have. In any case," he added with an uncharacteristically devious smirk, "he is more of a vixen in bed than any of them I am sure." Pleased with how disturbed Hachirou looked by these words, Sesshomaru resumed signing as the other demon left the room, closing the door behind him and leaving him and Inuyasha alone.

The firelight flickered in the hearth, continuing to bathe the sleeping half-demon with the flaming glow. A servant even came to stoke the fire, and had left again without so much as waking him. As night gave way to still dark morning hours, Sesshomaru set aside the last of the papers he was to overlook and sign (or discard) stretching slightly before turning to gaze upon the still slumbering form by the fireside. Soundlessly he gathered himself to his feet, making his way over to his younger brother, and easing himself on the daybed behind him.

It did not surprise him any longer, when the body curved against the warmth his own body offered, a small unconscious sigh brushing against his throat. "If you weren't such an ass I'd say thank you." Sesshomaru's lips curved into a smirk at Inuyasha's words.  
"How long did you lie here awake?" the Demon breathed. Inuyasha offered a half-shrug, flushing slightly as those clawed fingers stole inside the front of his sleeping kimono, and caressed the swollen stomach beneath.  
"Long enough to hear you defend me for the first time in my life – And let's face it that's a long time."

A short awkward silence fell over them, the flush failing to fall from Inuyasha's face as those fingers continued to trace over his flesh. Something was troubling him, he knew it. The connection between their marks caused Inuyasha's confusion to assault his own mind. Eventually, the Half-demon's mouth parted in what sounded like hesitant question.

"Are you really just gonna let me have this thing and then toss me to Hikireimaru?" he asked. Sesshomaru was silent, though his hand retreated from Inuyasha's skin. "If you _want_ to go screw some demoness or _whatever_ feel free," the Half-demon's voice was brash but behind the words lingered some odd sense of betrayal that Sesshomaru didn't like at all. "I realise what I look like you know. _I_ can see it so I know what you're looking at!" His voice was rising, anger at feeling so betrayed evident in his words as he sat up as quickly as his body would allow him to. "I'm not a man anymore…"

Sesshomaru gathered himself to his feet, avoiding Inuyasha's gaze as he moved over to his desk and sitting in the chair he'd spent so much of his time in recently.  
"Cease this irritating misery," he ordered. Inuyasha sneered.  
"I'll stop it when you stop _making_ me miserable!"  
"I have done nothing; it is your own ignorant assumptions-"  
"-I know I'm just as _'misshapen'_ as he said! Most guys don't like it when _women_ get big carrying kids but for a man it's just-"  
"-They are Lord Hachirou's words not mine, or have you forgotten that I defended you?" Sesshomaru retorted.  
Inuyasha shot towards him.  
"I don't care if you don't want to fuck me! It's fine if you think I look disgusting! I think I look disgusting! But don't damn well LIE to me!"

Suddenly clawed fingers shot forward, seizing his hips so fiercely he jumped as he was pulled sharply  
forwards onto Sesshomaru's lap. Claws locked into his wrists, threatening to break the skin should he struggle. Fiery golden met his eyes as the Demon Lord's free hand pushed his kimono free of his shoulders, causing it to bunch at his elbows, and leaving him quite exposed. Inuyasha shuddered as the cool night air caressed his skin, and flinched as the hand unoccupied by holding his wrists groped his stomach gently. His angered gaze flickered away in awkward embarrassment.

"You will meet my eyes you insolent _brat_!" Sesshomaru hissed, crimson flashing across his vision, and hand drawing his brother's body closer to his. When Inuyasha finally met his eyes he continued, lips curling into a sneer as he spoke. "I would not keep anything hideous in my presence as long as I have you – or have you so easily forgotten that every waking moment has been dedicated to you?" To this, Inuyasha didn't answer, but his fury didn't falter either.

"You think I find disgust in looking at you – at this?" The Demon's fingers admired his mate's stomach. "You have no idea of my thoughts or wants. And as for not _taking_ you, I would have thought it would be obvious to you that the reason for that is how unpredictable your body is, not my lack of desire to take you." Clawed caresses ran up his sternum, before moving to graze over the opalescent scar that was his mark, causing a shudder of pleasure to rock his body. "Perhaps _you_ are the one that needs some more intimate attention, Little brother?"

Inuyasha swatted his hands away, trying to pull back and stand on his own feet though failing – his struggling only succeeding in driving Sesshomaru's claws into is wrist.

Sesshomaru looked startled for a moment, before the anger befell his features once more, and he raised the punctured flesh to his mouth, flicking his tongue against it carefully – draining it of the poison before it sealed. His grip on the hand held fast, even when the wound had healed, and he met Inuyasha's eyes once more. Inuyasha was the one who sneered this time. "I _know_ what you want," the Half-demon growled. "You sick twisted-"  
"You have no idea-"  
"I know it all too well – I know from being used and betrayed so many times what people like _you_ want! And as for needing to fuck you – I'd rather jerk off!"

Sesshomaru bared his teeth in a growl, his face a mere hairsbreadth from Inuyasha's. "You favour your hand above the passion and gratification I offer you? Such a foolish little half-breed."  
"It's always _'half-breed'_ when you're angry isn't it? But when you want something – like this pup – I have a name."  
"You claim to know so much about me, _Little Brother_?"

Inuyasha struggled, though the pain of those claws biting into him had taught him not to struggle too hard, and he remained under Sesshomaru's power. "You _told_ me!" He all-but screamed, "You told me you don't care if you love your mate but you want them to worship your holy ass! Well you picked the wrong 'helpless, pathetic,_ half-breed_'. The only reason you want me is to make me miserable! You don't want me to be with anybody else – loved by anybody – to be happy! You want me to be as miserable and alone as you!"

Sesshomaru crushed him against his body, staring up into those defiant eyes. "That is five reasons," he corrected.

Inuyasha snarled, wincing as he felt the pup in his belly offer him a sharp kick. "Well here's another few! You only want me because I can give you an heir that will be stronger than any other because of who and what I am – You only wanted me as your mate to stop anyone from having a claim on Father's lands through mating either of us!"

Sesshomaru seized a handful of silver locks at the back of Inuyasha's head roughly, causing the half-demon to flinch like a cat grabbed by the scruff of its neck. "And am I to understand that you do not love me?" the Demon murmured.  
"NO! I DON'T!" His pup kicked him again, as if telling him to be quiet (or at least stop moving) though he did neither.

Suddenly the grip on his hair tightened, and Sesshomaru used it to drag him down against his lips. Defiance coursing through him, Inuyasha's fangs caught the Demon Lord's lips, so that when their mouths parted, blood oozed from his lower lip. Sesshomaru smirked. "Then why are you here?"  
"Because…"  
"Because of that pup in your belly?" Again, he ran the backs of his claws over the pup, only succeeding in causing Inuyasha's anger to rise. "Be assured, if you dislike me that much you may leave after the pup is born – just as you seem to desire-"  
"-Screw you! This is _my_ pup and you're not taking it anywhere!" His fangs caught his own lip disobediently as angry tears pricked the backs of his eyes, a growl rising in his throat.

"You have _everything_! You can have anything you want. This kid is the only thing I've ever had that's been mine – that won't…that won't leave me." The broken misery seeping into his voice caused Sesshomaru to tighten his grip on him, attempting to draw him into an embrace, but Inuyasha recoiled, stumbling to his feet, quite uncaring at that moment that he was completely exposed to the cool fiery glow of the room.

"I'm here because I haven't got anywhere else to go! I'm not taking this kid out into the world that killed my mother and any kind of life I might have had along with her. This was Father's house, and that means this is my home too. You said it yourself – part of this is mine not just because I'm your brother but because I'm stuck with you forever!"  
"Indeed, and this pup in you, that came from my seed – the pup you love so much, it came from a sexual encounter with the brother you claim to hate so much."  
"I never said I hated you – I said I didn't love you-"  
"-How can you not love the man who gave you something that you consider so precious?"  
"Why do I have to love you if you don't love me? Isn't it enough that I put up with you-"  
"-Careful, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru warned, getting to his feet, "you are close to hurting my feelings."  
"Keh, you don't _have_ any feelings! You're a selfish, self-obsessed-" He swallowed his words as Sesshomaru ensnared him in his embrace, smashing his lips against his, an action with which he all-too readily complied.

He gave in. He sagged and fell against his brother's embrace. Lips melding against his as they partly opened, a tongue flicking against his before drawing back slightly, only to meet his eyes as he lowered him to the daybed, the Demon Lord kneeling over his hips. Silver hair fell from Sesshomaru's shoulders, a curtain against the dark room as his words whispered against his mouth. "I would not let you go even if you wished to," the Demon Lord assured him, brushing a second kiss over the breathless mouth.  
"I'd leave just to have you chase after me," Inuyasha admitted, allowing the seemingly affectionate kisses to flutter against his chest.  
"I would chase you just to be able to punish you after I caught you." The voice that threatened passion caused shivers to course through his skin, and the Half-demon's hips arched slightly as Sesshomaru grazed his fangs gently just under the bulge of his stomach.

"Are you intending to apologise for your hormonal outburst of groundless bitterness?" Sesshomaru asked. Inuyasha tilted his head slightly, evidently trying to meet his eyes around his stomach though failing to, as Sesshomaru remained as he was, allowing heated breath to steam gently onto the half-demon's skin.  
"If it makes you feel better you can pretend I apologised," Inuyasha breathed, wincing as the little devil within thumped him roughly. "Little gremlin…"

Sesshomaru glanced at him, staring down with a slightly quirked brow as he watched the flesh moving seemingly of its own accord as the pup shifted. "Our pup is punishing you for your outburst, and rightly so."

Inuyasha scowled, allowing the Demon lord to run his fingers over his stomach in an attempt to coerce the pup into calmness. "You be careful what you say," he warned, though an almost teasing smirk playing at his lips, "or I'll let the little bleeder kick you in the back while we're in bed."

Suddenly a swift knocking sounded at the door, and before the Demon Lord had even finished granting the nameless guest entry, the door flew open, Hachirou, Takara and Nannami marching into the room. Inuyasha hastily accepted as his brother draped his own outer hitoe over his shoulders to shield his nudity from those who had just entered the room. "What justifies the intrusion?" asked Sesshomaru blankly, though as Takara and Nannami shared a worried look, Hachirou merely stepped a little further towards him.  
"News, Lord Sesshomaru, of Hikireimaru's progression across the borders – he has attacked a village - Set his blood-thirsty army to slaughter the villagers."

Sesshomaru inhaled heavily, noting how Inuyasha tensed beside him. "Where on the border is the village?" Hachirou looked to Takara, who then stepped forward.  
"Please, Sire," Takara said, glancing to Inuyasha as he spoke, as if unsure how he would react, "it is not on our border – it is just off of our domain-"  
"-Then the village and the villagers are not my concern." Just as Inuyasha straightened up to argue, Nannami intervened, moving to her mate's side.  
"_Please_, My Lord," she begged, crimson eyes trained on the Half-demon beside him, "I implore you to listen – the village priestess, she is Lady Kaede."

Those words whispered into Inuyasha's ears, and his body fell prey to quavering realisation. He felt sick, he felt like he would collapse. His suddenly dry mouth opened shakily, and he frowned as he ventured speech. "Did you just say, Kaede?" he asked hesitantly, not really wanting the answer. The Demoness nodded, a look in her eyes telling him she knew that it was _'his'_ village. The Half-demon turned to the Demon Lord beside him, a pleading look flickering in his eyes.

"You _have_ to do something," Inuyasha implored, mindless of his pride. Sesshomaru frowned slightly.  
"Their lives are not my concern, and neither are they yours any longer, you have a new family now-"  
"-But I still care about them!" Inuyasha all-but screamed, making his way towards the door, Sesshomaru and the others hot on his heels.  
"Where are you going?" the Older sibling questioned. Inuyasha snarled, turning to face him.  
"You can come with me or you can stay here, but the latter will probably get me and the pup killed." Inuyasha thought he saw his brother's fangs grating against each other in irritation as he watched him, waiting for an answer. Eventually, speech found him.  
"I suppose the only rational solution," Sesshomaru began quietly, as if he did not want Takara or the others to hear, "is for me to accompany you."

TBC

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A/N: Dum Dum Dum Dum! Nice suprise? Good suprise? D'ya like? Hope so. Also hoping for a most eventful chappie next. Hehehe... Review nicely please ^_^

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	21. Arms Outstretched

Author's Note:  
Not as long as normal but still not short. A little action, angst and mush here, so I hope you like ^_^

Enjoy and review please ^_^

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**Chapter Twenty-One  
Arms Outstretched**

A scowl seemed to have permanently imprinted itself across Inuyasha's face. Sesshomaru kept close to him despite the fact that every time he did so the sulking Half-demon let out a low, warning growl, before walking a little faster. Frequently Inuyasha would wander off in another direction to relieve the pressure in his bladder, and again, every time an argument ensued when Sesshomaru followed.

The sun was sinking along the horizon now, and though every limb screamed for rest, Inuyasha was determined to reach the village by nightfall. It was his fault. His head hung, eyes burned and feet ached from the non-stop walking, (his pregnant body not used to such exercise) but he deserved it all, and more. That village, those people were his responsibility and he'd left them unprotected… He'd hidden away under the evanescent peace of Sesshomaru's protection whilst they were targeted because of him. How could he rest knowing what he'd done, whilst the villagers suffered for his cowardice, his selfish foolishness in believing it was alright to stop fighting…? It would never stop…

"Do you intend to drive yourself into the ground?"

Inuyasha stopped, too tired to turn to face Sesshomaru at the stoic words that had ushered past his lips. "What will drop first? You or the pup?" the Demon persisted. Inuyasha tipped his head back exhaustedly, momentarily closing his eyes against the crimson sky.  
"I protected them, and in doing so I showed the Demon World that they were my weakness… And Hikireimaru's after me, not anybody else… This is all my fault. If I'd just faced him before, this would all be over-"  
"And the pup would be dead. These mortals will have to learn to survive without you again, it was targeted before you were here and will be targeted again now you have moved on also. I will wipe Hikireimaru from the face of this earth but after this your responsibilities to your new life come first, understood?"

Inuyasha sneered, spinning on his heel to face the Demon Lord. "Who do you think you are? You can't tell me what to do! I don't expect you to understand the world in any other terms than property or pride, but to some there are things more important than that!"

Sesshomaru smirked, moving forwards and spanning the gap between them, hot breath fogging up the Half-demon's senses. "You had the choice to back out before and you chose me-"  
"-In your dreams! I chose the _pup_!"  
"Regardless, you chose to become my Mate-"  
"-That doesn't mean you can tell me what to do!" As he moved to turn from him, Sesshomaru seized his wrist, pulling him back and forcing him to meet his eyes.  
"While my pup is in your belly, that is _exactly_ what I can and will do," The Demon Lord muttered dangerously, "When you made your decision to be my mate you dedicated your life to me, our pup and our Father's lands. Anything else, like this village of yours must come second best."

After a long moment, he released his hold on his younger brother, permitting him to turn and move forwards. He could only hope he had made Inuyasha understand, he had tried so very hard not to lose his temper, and had successfully refrained from striking him, but if it took that to stop him from heading in the direction of disaster for both him and the pup then he would have no choice…

Turning slightly to gaze behind them, Sesshomaru saw Takara and Ah-Un following slow enough to permit the two lords their space. He would have liked to have left his most trusted servant behind to look after things, but with a potential encounter with Hikireimaru ahead of them, he could not afford to risk Inuyasha collapsing or requiring assistance again during the battle. _This time,_ he thought, _I will finish this once and for all…_

Perhaps without the ever-present threat of Hikireimaru looming over him, Inuyasha would be able to settle into his new life a little easier. The Demon Lord cringed when he recalled his initial reason for not destroying Hikireimaru on the spot during their first encounter. He could have spared himself some trouble, as well as his sibling some worry, though if he had disposed of him back then, would he still have Inuyasha now?

Sesshomaru watched the back of his Little brother thoughtfully; was having Inuyasha worth all this trouble? Most certainly, even if, in those moments where their eyes met, he could see a flicker of what Inuyasha had once hoped for, once desired. That Priestess, a life in this village – he had wanted both so desperately, and even as he walked with him now, he could see a lingering dream of what might have been. He hadn't released his hold on his past just yet.

Fleeting sparkles of the sun's last rays shimmered as they caught his mate's hair, and Sesshomaru continued to watch him carefully as they moved towards the nearing silhouette of the village on the horizon. He never thought he would lower himself enough to liken his thoughts and feelings to a human's, but he could not help but wonder, if his current emotions regarding Inuyasha's inability to let go, were in any way similar to Kagome's when the Little Half-demon was unable to forget Kikyo…

With the village remaining firmly in the distance, it was only the call of Inuyasha's stomach that persuaded the Half-demon that now was the time to rest for a while, though even then, he made sure to sit away from the fireside and Sesshomaru, only just visible in the dim shadow of the surrounding trees. Sesshomaru cast him an exasperated glance, before returning his gaze to Takara, who was prodding the fire.

"Petulant brat…" Sesshomaru mumbled, regarding his servant with a dangerously placid look at the small smile that danced across the blue-eyed demon's lips. "Something amuses, Takara?"  
"Never, My Lord. Though it is evident that Lord Inuyasha's distance displeases you."  
Sesshomaru managed to withhold a snort.  
"If he feels he must emotionally distance himself from me he may do so. However the physical distance is unnecessary."

Takara seemed to be regarding him rather closely, an odd glimmer of innocent affection in his eyes.  
"You are aware of the cause of this sudden need for space?" the Servant asked. Sesshomaru sighed, leaning back slightly against the trunk of the tree.  
"Indeed, I can feel his apprehension… He is nervous about meeting his old companions once more."  
"Or more specifically, meeting them with you at his side, whilst carrying another man, albeit his own _brother's_ pup. Humans are finicky; it is understandable that he is concerned for their possible reactions."  
"Indeed," answered Sesshomaru distantly, wincing as he struggled to suppress the second wave of heated desire in him. He ground his teeth against the yearning that spread through his boiling blood. He was panting, he knew he was, but remained powerless to calm his erratic breathing.

Takara offered no assistance, nor any remedy. There was but a few cures for what plagued Sesshomaru and none of which were within his reach. His heat had a tendency to bother him in small, random waves. This however, felt more like a typhoon.

"You have been suppressing it, have you not, Sire?" the Servant asked knowingly. Sesshomaru nodded slowly, momentarily incapable of speech. He was concentrating hard enough on remaining _upright_. "If you suppress it, Sire, it merely builds up until it overwhelms you." Takara cast a glance over to Inuyasha, before focusing on Sesshomaru once more. "Is Inuyasha not aware of your heat pains?"  
Sesshomaru smirked, sitting back, face flushed.  
"He is. Though without experience of a heat season with a mate, he can hardly be expected to understand…"  
Takara's eyes widened in mild surprise.  
"You seem to understand a lot about Lord Inuyasha now, perhaps he in turn has come to do the same for you?" Takara asked. That same smirk played across the Demon Lord's lips.  
"Inuyasha has no desire to understand me; to him I am too reclusive to even contemplate."

Suddenly, a shudder separate from Sesshomaru's body coursed through him. But he wasn't cold. Sesshomaru paused, thinking for a moment before he realised it was _Inuyasha_ that was cold. Getting to his feet, the Demon Lord moved to where his sibling sat, only to discover his eyes closed, and his cold body leaning peacefully against the body of the tree. At the risk of doing something against his character, Sesshomaru slid an arm round his Little brother's waist, amd pulled him to his chest. A small flush brewed, threatening to notify Takara of just how awkward he felt carrying his mate over to the blankets by the fireside. Careful to avoid his Servant's eyes, he dropped the blankets over the Half-demon now lying near to him, before resuming his seat.

"Sleep Takara," he ordered quietly, staring into the amber flames, "I do not require your company while I keep watch." Obeying as always, Takara turned in, leaving the Demon Lord alone with his thoughts and his torment.

That unbearable heat throbbed in his veins hungrily. Sesshomaru tipped his head back. He could swear he felt his clothes getting tighter. This was torment. Why did something like this have to be so unbearable? He felt a harsh desperateness for contact with the sleeping form beside him swell. There was no way he could sleep near him tonight. He'd lose control and take him for sure…

"Your heat's bothering you that much?"

Sesshomaru inclined his head slightly, seeing Inuyasha gazing at him from nearby. The sheet covered the smaller frame, though a chill still crept through his bones, telling him that Inuyasha hadn't warmed up yet.  
"Of course," Sesshomaru said simply, "It will not go away yet."  
Inuyasha frowned, sitting up a little.  
"When _will_ it go away?"  
"It is different for every couple. So I do not know."

Inuyasha avoided the Demon's eyes guiltily, knowing it was down to him that Sesshomaru was suffering alone. "Why aren't you asleep?" he asked, in order to distract himself from the odd act of feeling sorry for Sesshomaru. The Demon Lord remained impassive.  
"You are there currently, and need both the warmth and the rest more than I-"  
"-But with this heat… I mean… I'm dragging you all the way out here with it, to solve my problems, and I'm not even helping you with yours, am I?"  
Sesshomaru offered him an odd look.  
"Do not feel obligated to sate my urges, Inuyasha…"  
"But I thought it _was_ my obligation?" he said with mild confusion, raising his eyes to his sibling at last. To this, Sesshomaru said nothing; it appeared Inuyasha, (like him) did not comprehend what _any_ of this meant. Guilt, concern, selflessness… These were not things a Demon Lord should be concerned with, and yet…

When the silence fell stagnant, Inuyasha lowered his eyes once more, moving over to the side of the bedding. Sesshomaru raised a brow. "It's your damn bed, you should sleep in it," Inuyasha growled, clarifying his words. His reaction was not the one he had hoped for.

"You seek your own precious comfort and warmth regardless of my condition?" Sesshomaru asked, a sneer present in his angry expression. Inuyasha frowned.  
"I thought you might like some sleep is all!"  
"You thought you would like comfort, _that_ is all. You imagine that I am the one who uses your body for my own devices. But it is you that uses me, my body and weakness for your own selfish needs!"

Inuyasha stared at him in bewilderment. The dark flush of the heat graced his brother's usually pale skin. An ethereal pinkish glow flickered in and out of those eyes and a foreboding gruffness began to seep into that voice. Inuyasha swallowed nervously.

"It's just the heat," he said flippantly, "It's driving you crazy, I get it, but don't take it out on me! I never said I wasn't using you – we're using each other and its wrong but it's a bit late to be saying that now we're stuck together!"

Suddenly Sesshomaru leapt forwards. Inuyasha scrambled back in a failed attempt at escape, and a feral snarl filled his ears which flicked back protectively against his skull. He flinched. His claws tore across the Demon's cheek, raking bloody welts into the flushed skin. Inuyasha tilted his head away from Sesshomaru's reach, too late. The Half-demon's shot out to stop him but those hands he both relished and feared seized his wrists, threatening to draw blood.

Blood red eyes, that's what he saw when he dared to peek up at his brother. Elongated fangs glistened ominously as husky words whispered into his ears.

"Do not pretend that what you do holds _any_ similarity to my actions. My emotions and attentions are meaningless to you, are they not?"  
Inuyasha winced, hands struggling to push his brother off, wondering just how badly he might be injured if he called out for Takara's help. No, he wouldn't ask for help, that wasn't how he was. He could die under Sesshomaru's grasp right now, but he would never forgo his pride enough to call out, even now, when his pup wriggled in his stomach. Just then, those crimson eyes softened slightly; had Sesshomaru felt the movement?

In that moment, the Demon Lord stared down at him with a strangely confused look, and the grip on the Half-demon's wrists slackening. Inuyasha growled, throwing his weight upwards and shoving Sesshomaru backwards off of him. Sesshomaru's back slammed into he ground, and reddened eyes faded back to gold, confusion growing with them as he stared up at the Half-demon, who had pinned him to the ground. Rebellious silver tresses both alike and dissimilar to his own spilled over those shoulders. The Demon's arousal spiking despite himself. His heat swelled once again, and there was still nothing he could do about it.

"Remove yourself from me, Inuyasha," he ordered tersely, but Inuyasha didn't budge. "I said _move_."  
"And I say I'm cold and I'm tired so _shut up_!" The Half-demon paused then, glancing over to Takara and taking a cautious sniff of the air to ensure the other demon was still asleep, before turning his attention back to his sibling once more. "You called me selfish, and that means you want something in return from me," he stated. "What more could you _want_? You wanted me to have your pup and I am, you wanted me to be your mate and I _am_!"  
"And you imply that simply because of that, your using me is any less wrong?"  
"No!" Inuyasha snarled, "I'm saying that this is the whole _point_ of being mates!"  
Sesshomaru sneered once again.  
"Do not presume you; a _Half-demon_ needs to lecture me on _demon_ traditions," The older brother growled. Inuyasha flinched at the _Half-demon_ comment.

"So what's the point if not doing things for each other? I'm suffering for you so it's only fair you give me something in return!" At this the Older Brother's interest peeked, there was just something, so very perfect about that statement…

"You say it is a matter of _'You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours'_?"

Inuyasha recoiled from him then, releasing his hold on him in apparent disgust.  
"I'm not scratching nothing!" he insisted indignantly. Sesshomaru smirked, capturing the boy's back and fighting him to the ground once more. That heated breath steamed up the air surrounding him once more, cold prickling up his spine in reminder of how he would feel if the Demon Lord moved away again.

This time _Sesshomaru_ glanced over to ensure Takara's slumber continued, before looking to his suddenly overpowered Little Brother. "If that is the case," he practically purred, thoughtfully stroking a downy ear he had recently become rather fond of. "I will give you what you desire if you do the same for me…"

Inuyasha blinked up at him, his hazy, exhausted mind taking a moment to realise what he was implying. He leant up, supported by one elbow as the other hooked around the Demon's neck, dragging him down to him a little more. His tongue flicked apologetically against the already healing gashes from his claws, and he smirked slightly when Sesshomaru turned his head to allow further access, submitting to his preening, all-too welcomed attention. All the while the Demon tried to watch him, so amazed at the way the comparably smaller frame seemed to melt against his own body in the heat.

Reaching for one of those ears again, The Demon Lord, coerced the Half-demon's mouth to his lips at last, pressing him back to the bedding with gentle insistence. He felt a soft bump against his stomach from inside Inuyasha, smirking against the kiss despite himself. At this, Inuyasha drew back to consider his expression. "What're you smiling for?" he asked, the same flustered gruffness returning to cover his embarrassment as the passion subsided.

Sesshomaru said nothing, turning his mate onto his side carefully, before moving to lie behind him. Inuyasha's body tensed slightly, wondering what Sesshomaru up to. Didn't he say he wanted Inuyasha to relieve him of the unbearable pressure brought on by his heat? Well, not in so many words, he supposed… Maybe he had misunderstood what he'd meant by _'desire'_…

The Demon's eyes slid shut as the combined warmth of their bodies settled into the sheets. He felt Inuyasha try to scoot forwards a little and Sesshomaru's arm moved forwards, encircling the boy's waist and drawing him back against his chest. "Go to sleep, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru murmured against the nape of his neck. With a final glimpse at the flickering flames of the dying fire, Inuyasha's eyes closed, and attempting to push his brother's heat-induced confession from his mind, he permitted sleep to take him.

Somehow, whether it was pure luck or some skill he had acquired in the last few months in Inuyasha's company, Sesshomaru managed to persuade his brother to ride on Ah-Un's back for the remainder of the journey. Though oddly, (even after last night) the Half-demon remained just as distant as ever. In fact he hadn't even spoken to him very much, until…

"This place stinks of fear," Inuyasha growled, casting an uneasy glance to the village that lay only a stone's throw ahead. The surrounding trees clung to his body as they pressed on through. He raised his head to the canopy above. Something was wrong. The same trees, the same leaves… but this wasn't his forest anymore, it didn't smell right. He had described it best with those first words… It reeked of fear, and not only the villagers', but of his own as well.

Sesshomaru shared a look with Takara, and the two demons both fell into a slow, cautious stride on opposite sides of Inuyasha. The Demon Lord and the Servant shared a common understanding, if anything happened to this village, Inuyasha would never forgive himself…

At last the grabbing, spiteful trees parting to reveal the village beyond. Everything was still. No sound, not a whisper of a stirring breath ushered into their ears. There was no one to be seen. It wasn't dead or torched, just…deserted. Whilst Takara threw his Lord a worried look, Inuyasha disregarded their presences, manoeuvring (with no little amount of difficulty) from Ah-Un's back, and patting the demon distantly before moving forwards. Again the Servant and Master regarded each other with silent understanding, before following quickly after the very pregnant Half-demon.

"Inuyasha!" Sesshomaru called forwards, eyes darting to every inch of dirt, every shadow if they so much as twitched in the eerie breeze. Where was everyone? "Slow down!" Clearly, the Half-demon wasn't listening to him.

Inuyasha cradled his swollen stomach thoughtfully as he pursued the scent – amongst all the others he had to be sure Sango and the others were okay. The scents assaulted him with every step. There was a potent stench of demons and Hikireimaru, but beneath the thick layer of panic he could find Miroku and Kirara, not anyone else, at least not any of those he'd once called his pack. Sango, Shippo, Kaede, Kohaku… what had happened to them? And where were the Monk and the cat-demon, for he was sure they were here, he could smell them strongly now. What was going on?

His steps halted as he reached the beacon that sent those waves. His head buzzed with the smell of terror now, and they emanated (in particular) from inside the hut that lay before him. Kaede's hut.

A lump rose in his throat. He swallowed nervously, arm moving the matting that formed the door to the side, only permitting half a step into the place that made his skin hum with an unnatural anxiety. Golden eyes widened as they gazed into the dimness ahead. Two small bundles lay on the floor ahead. He shot forwards, preying they weren't what he thought they were, and lowering to one knee awkwardly, Inuyasha stared down…into the faces of two small infants. His heart thudded madly in his chest, and his face twisted in disgust. Who would have left them here? Or…what if…

_What if the demons_… He wondered, not daring to finish his own suspicion, even in his own mind. Taking a careful sniff of the air, his heart skipped a beat; disbelief shuddered through his body as the cool air surrounding him sent a chill down his spine. They weren't dead. He gnawed his lip thoughtfully for a moment, considering his options. However none that he could bear entailed leaving the slumbering human babies on the ground, cold and vulnerable to any lower creature that slithered in and strangled their precious life from them. As carefully as he could, the Half-demon raised the children into his arms.

_It's a good job they're small, _he thought turning to the doorway, only to find Sesshomaru and Takara had been watching his every move. He flushed a little, feeling awkward with children in his arms. "What?" he asked indignantly, "You propose I leave them here?"  
Sesshomaru remained impassive.  
"I care not what you do with orphaned mortals," the Demon Lord replied, turning from Inuyasha to head outside.

SMACK! Something whipped through the air, slicing bloody gashes across Sesshomaru's chest. He winced, blood weeping from the wounds as crimson fluids burst from the wounds, staining the once pristine whiteness. Takara leapt towards the doorway as he watched Sesshomaru disappear through it. "Lord Sesshomaru!"  
"Inuyasha, stay inside!" Inuyasha sneered at the call from his brother, moving forwards to the mat door, and swatting it aside, only to stop dead in his tracks at the foreboding feel of a sharp blade pressed against his windpipe.

Golden, anxious eyes darted across to where chains bit into Takara as the surrounding demons pulled them tight around his flesh. The Half-demon's ears lay flat against his head at the piercing roar from Sesshomaru. The metal bond slung around him crumbled under his grip. Poison hissed at his claws but he dared not use it. Even Inuyasha recoiled as the Demon leapt forwards, fangs tearing into one of those daring to try and tie him down. Screams filled the air, and the infants in Inuyasha's grasp came to life with blood-curdling shrieks.

Inuyasha's eyes flew to his mate as he sensed a prickling of disembodying energy course through his body. Sesshomaru offered the surrounding, overpowering demon masses a bloody smirk, fangs dripping the crimson life's-blood of the slaughtered enemies that lay at his feet. "You assume mere mortal bonds can hold _me_?" he growled, eyes reddening in menacing preparation for what was about to occur.

Suddenly the Half-demon's eyes glistened with realisation, and he surveyed the surrounding homes of the people he had once took it upon himself to protect. "NO! STOP!" he screamed.

Sesshomaru looked over to his mate, chains cracking against his spine, and crushing him to the ground. His arms fought to grip the ground beneath him, spine arcing in a telltale formation of his demon form struggling to the surface. "SESSHOMARU DON'T! DON'T CHANGE!"

Takara looked over to gaze upon the Younger Lord. "See reason, Young Sire!" Takara cried out, "You would see your Brother suffer for the sake of some mortals' houses?"  
Inuyasha turned his eyes from both the Demon Lord and Takara, unable to look upon them.  
"We don't know where Hikireimaru has the villagers – they could be in any of these houses. Someone could get killed-"  
"-Well said." At those words, everything in the small grass clearing froze. The Demons shoved Takara to his knees, and the crowd parted to reveal (to the captives) the dark-haired problem that had, until now been shoved aside, almost ignored. _Almost_

Hikireimaru scanned the captives, handsome eyes settling upon the Half-demon that remained trapped by a knife's edge by Kaede's hut. "Inuyasha," Hikireimaru practically purred, relishing the tremors the dangerousness in his voice sent through Inuyasha's form. "I see you fell into the so very predictable trap I laid specifically for you, Little one."

Inuyasha glanced down at the children in his embrace, throwing the Demon a sneer. "Where are their parents?"  
Hikireimaru smirked at the adorable anger gracing the boy's features.  
"Absolutely fine, all alive at least. They will be released soon enough. I merely wished to see you, Little One."

Inuyasha twisted his head away from Hikireimaru's claws as they stroked his cheek gently, the Half-demon's fangs snapping dangerously close to his hand. Still that smirk failed to fall from those features. "How terribly amusing," the Demon purred, eyes perusing Inuyasha's form with every word. Inuyasha's fangs grated together in apprehension. It was only a matter of moments before Hikireimaru took note of the more obvious attribute to his body, and he could only guess that the outcome would not be in any way good…

Those clawed fingers traced his stomach carefully, and Inuyasha flinched as his pup punished him with a sharp kick for his overexertion of their shared body. "Seems as if Lord Sesshomaru has given you a lively little creature," the monster noted. Inuyasha said nothing – he dared not even blink. One swipe, that would be all it would take for Hikireimaru to end it all for the tiny little life Inuyasha had come to adore even before it had even been brought into the world.

Sesshomaru's body trembled with unleashed fury, those hands were on his mate, those hands felt his pup's movements. Inuyasha's panic burned his mark; it burned his chest to feel the breathless torment. Sharp, panting breaths erupted from his lungs. Something was happening. Different yet familiar. Sesshomaru felt suffocated. Was it Hikireimaru's doing? No…it was different…it was…Inuyasha. He felt his emotions choking him. Inuyasha was doing something Sesshomaru hadn't believed a half-demon capable of; he was calling out through their invisible connection.

The Demon Lord's body groaned under the strain of pressing upwards into his metal bindings, fighting his prison.

"What's this?" Hikireimaru murmured.

Sesshomaru glanced up to see Hikireimaru's fingers toying idly with the Tetsusaiga at Inuyasha's waist, and the Older brother felt Inuyasha's fear spike again. Those old words echoed from a place in his mind that seemed to come from so long ago…

_"…If backed into a corner to the point where his life is in danger his demon blood takes control of the body and it transforms in order to preserve his life… His demon blood will devour his human soul. He will not be able to recognise himself. He will not be able to differentiate between friend or foe, he will simply kill. And with repeated transformations Inuyasha will lose his soul. He will become a demon that only knows how to fight and kill, and he will continue to fight until he is destroyed… I sincerely doubt that your father would have wished such a terrible fate upon his own son..."_

With repeated transformations Inuyasha would lose his soul… Why did that notion terrify him so much? He watched as Inuyasha struggled. With Hikireimaru this close, he could turn any moment. And lose another piece of himself. How many times had Inuyasha already lost to his demon? How many times remained before he could never come back? Why did he care?

Inuyasha's hand caught the hilt of Tetsusaiga before Hikireimaru could take it from him, meeting the dark-haired-demon's eyes. "You wanted to see me? So say what you've got to say and leave. I'm sick and tired of you looming in the background. I'm not a kid and I'm not some fretting human girl."  
"Ah, but you are the son of one…"

Inuyasha snarled, making the children scream even louder. "If my mixed blood pisses you off so much then what the hell do you-"  
"-Come away with me?" Inuyasha blinked, stunned by the Demon's abruptness.  
"What? You've gotta be kidding me! You held these villagers hostage!"

Hikireimaru never tore his eyes from him, even as he swatted the man holding Inuyasha at knifepoint aside so that the blade no longer held over the Half-demon. "Only to draw you out, I never held any intention of hurting them. Well, not really…"  
"You're just some twisted anti-half-demon asshole! I'm…I'm with Sesshomaru!"

Hikireimaru smirked once more. "Indeed, I am aware, that was my intention-"  
"Why?"  
"I gave you a taster of what he could offer you before I came to get you," Hikireimaru's gaze flickered to his stomach and back again briefly, his next words only heard by Inuyasha. "I know the only reason you stay is because you believe Sesshomaru is the only one who can offer your pup any form of comfort and safety, I could offer you that…"  
"I don't even know you!" Inuyasha retorted, recoiling from Hikireimaru's touch. "My only insight into your personality is that you tried to rape me!"  
"And what did you know about Sesshomaru when you fell into his lap other than he'd tried to kill you your whole life. He gave you a pup against your will. I showed you why you were different, I never forced intercourse, much less another life upon you. What is it exactly that makes your beloved Brother so much more appealing than me?"

Inuyasha's expression remained vacant, but inside a storm of questions assaulted his mind, and he was sure that Sesshomaru could feel them all. "You killed all those half-demons, all those people…" Inuyasha mumbled, not meeting those eyes.  
Hikireimaru smiled.  
"And how many has your brother killed? Why don't you ask him, I'm sure the question would merit an interesting answer…"

The Half-demon raised his eyes then, something within Hikireimaru at that point…it screamed the truth, but what did that mean if it _was_?

Suddenly the surrounding crowds roared into panic. Demons dropped from every angle. Something tore through the air, sending creatures flying. Inuyasha watched as Takara smirked menacingly, seizing his bonds with his hands and staring into the eyes of the demons on the other end of them. "Seems not everyone from this village was present at your raiding party." The metal beneath the Demon's hands shook as white-hot fire coursed through the coils. The Demons screamed as the metal seared their flesh, and dropping the chains they backed away from a now free Takara.

The enemy scattered. Sesshomaru leapt to his feet and to Hikireimaru, claws tearing towards him, missing him by inches as the demon stepped back. "Seems I must leave you to ponder your decision, Inuyasha," the Demon said with a smile, a forebodingly flirtatiousness to his voice. "I will be back for you soon, just sit tight with Lord Sesshomaru until then." The crowds swallowed him up as they fled.

The Demon Lord stepped to his sibling's side, hand smoothing over his stomach as if to wipe away any lingering memory of Hikireimaru's touch. "You are alright?" he asked. Inuyasha blinked, startled by the concern in those eyes, but nodded all the same, his answer only partially the truth. "I failed to kill him – yet again."  
Inuyasha looked up at him, mouth opening to offer some form of comfort for reasons he did not comprehend. But his voice was drowned out by the call of a familiar voice.

"Inuyasha?" The Half-demon turned, two figures clad in mostly black moved towards him, and he offered a nervous smile. He felt his stomach lurch with anxiety. He needed to be sick again. He needed to pee again. He needed Sesshomaru to stop touching him and move away!

"H-Hey, Sango…"

TBC


	22. By My Fear

**Chapter Twenty-Two  
By My Fear**

"Inuyasha?" The Half-demon turned, two figures clad in mostly black moved towards him, and he offered a nervous smile. He felt his stomach lurch with anxiety. He needed to be sick again. He needed to pee again. He needed Sesshomaru to stop touching him and move away!

"H-Hey, Sango…"

The Demon Slayer smiled unsurely, sweeping long obsidian hair out from her face. She stopped before him, Kohaku at her side, though oddly the boy never raised his eyes to him (or perhaps it was the gaze of the Demon Lord beside him that he was avoiding).

"Inuyasha," she said again, though this time with an air suggesting she would go further than merely a name this time and her gaze wandered to Sesshomaru warily before continuing. "What're you doing here?" she asked softly, "I thought you were…well that you were dead. We hear all these rumours about Hikireimaru killing half-demons and then when we went to the Sacred tree to see if-" She smirked, "-Well to see if you were done moping. But you were gone so…we assumed the worst."

The Slayer raised a brow, and Inuyasha could tell that it was in confusion at Sesshomaru standing so closely to his side. After all their time together watching the Lord try to kill her Half-demon friend it could only be natural. But Inuyasha worried his lip between his fangs, leaning forward to press the two children he still held into her arms. "I guess these are yours," he murmured. She smiled again, never noticing his stomach as she fussed and fawned over the two fussing infants. This only increased Inuyasha's unease, and Sesshomaru could sense it. He was apprehensive of her reaction, and the fact that she was taking so long to notice was only making it worse.

Inuyasha inched away from Sesshomaru a little, trying to put some sort of respectable space between them before Sango returned her attention to them, but something told Sesshomaru that the boy Slayer could sense their closeness. Perhaps that was why he did not look up.

"Inuyasha," said Sango at last, "Thank you, so much - You saved them."  
Inuyasha blushed.  
"Yeah, yeah, well…After Miroku went to so much trouble to get you to make 'em." She flushed lightly, handing them children to Kohaku and telling him to take them inside, leaving her quite alone with the brothers and Takara, who stood nearby.

"Such a mess…" she growled exhaustedly, staring about the village around her. "Kohaku and I were out…well, out looking for you if I'm totally honest," again, Inuyasha's blush darkened. "We left Kilala and Miroku take care of the village but…I guess…" She gazed thoughtfully after her brother, and an uncomfortable silence fell.

In an effort to quash the deafening quiet, Inuyasha spoke, scratching the nape of his neck awkwardly. "So er…those kids were yours."  
Sango nodded, seeming to snap out of the daze she had drifted into.  
"Yeah, two boys," she answered with the same warm smile he remembered. "Miroku was pleased. They're a real handful though – they fight all the time, they actually remind me of…" Again she trailed off, offering the brothers an odd look, "...well, you two."

Sesshomaru looked vaguely amused, whereas Inuyasha looked horrified.  
"You'd better hope not…" the Half-demon mumbled, to which the Slayer considered him incredulously. "So, what did you call 'em?"  
She blinked at his suddenly evasive tone. "The Kids, their names? Has to go with Akane right?" He asked, recalling the last time he'd seen his Slayer friend with her (then) newly born daughter. "Miroku didn't waste time trying for that son of his did he?" His tone was forced, but the woman didn't seem to notice. She sighed, shaking her head.

"No, it was a bit of a shock really. Wasn't intentional but…these things happen. And Akane is really good with them. We called them Kuri and Kyou – you know, colours. Perhaps we will try to keep the names in our family to colours from now. We might find it difficult if Miroku keeps insisting we have twenty though." She laughed, but Inuyasha looked horrified. He was having enough trouble dealing with _this_ pup, the mere thought of more made him feel slightly queasy. What if (like Miroku), Sesshomaru decided he wanted more after this one was born? The mere idea of going through this all again made him uneasy, and he staggered slightly as he vision span with the fresh wave of nausea took over him.

Upon sensing his mate's unease Sesshomaru stepped a little closer, steadying him on his feet when he watched him waver. For that one, brief moment, Inuyasha clasped hold of Sesshomaru's sleeve, clinging to it when his eyes closed against the spinning world as if he were his anchor. When had he become so accustomed to Sesshomaru's company? He realised now that this wasn't the first time he'd asked himself that. Nevertheless, as his dizziness subsided and he opened his eyes, he saw that he had inadvertently come to place some odd trust in his brother, whether he deserved it or not.

Suddenly the Half-demon remembered where he was, and just who was standing before him. Shoving Sesshomaru away slightly, he struggled to regain the unaffected posture the Slayer had been used to. To let her see him like this…weak, defenceless, it was so wrong. How would she feel to know her once _'protector'_ had been reduced to this? This dilemma reminded him painfully of what he had been so anxious of her noticing in the first place. Upon returning his golden gaze to her, he saw that, at last she had seen…

"Inuyasha," she said softly, confusedly, a hand hovering over her mouth as suddenly wide eyes scanned his form. "You err…you've really let yourself go." She blushed, whereas Inuyasha's temper flared.  
"What? What the hell? Are you stupid or something? Having three kids under one must really be addling your brain 'cause even I couldn't get fat in four months if I damn well ate ramen until it came out my ears!" He paused then, turning to Sesshomaru.  
"Can we even _get_ fat?" Sesshomaru frowned at the question.  
"I do not believe so, though I must admit, no one in our family has ever been in a position to, what with constant physical stresses on the body – such as battle, or…other things."

Inuyasha flushed furiously at the suggestiveness in his tone, and turned back to Sango.

"So…you're not fat?" she asked sceptically. "Is that a new kimono? Inuyasha…did you brush your hair?"

He blinked, then stared down at his self. Of course, to a woman that was so used to his trademark fire-rat kimono and rebellious silver locks, his rather…_tame_ appearance must have been startling.

"Well I…I kinda live with Sesshomaru now," he answered with an air of an embarrassed child seeping into his words, "Hikireimaru came after me and… Well I ended up at Sesshomaru's castle – My dad's castle."  
The Slayer tilted her head slightly.  
"Oh, well, I guess it's good to see you work out your differences but um… If you're not 'fat' then how can you be…" She trailed off, dark eyes widening even further at the realisation. "Oh…"  
"Yeah," the Half-demon answered, avoiding her shocked gaze. "I didn't know it could happen, I mean I thought…I didn't…" It was then that Sesshomaru (who had been quiet until now), stepped forwards, swiftly tiring of his mate's inability to tell her the truth.

"My brother failed to realise that his bleeding had anything to do with his rather unique abilities to bear young as well as give them to females. This was largely due to his inability to ask another about his demon heritage, this of course was largely my own fault. He did not discover his abilities until I-"  
"-Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled franticly. "Quit telling her all the nasty details! You sick pervert! She doesn't need to know all that!" Normally this glimpse at the _'old Inuyasha'_ might have amused the Demon Lord, but currently it was merely irritating him.

"Oh…" said Sango again, sounding more shocked that before. "So it…I mean I thought… Inuyasha said Hikireimaru, so I thought that meant that _he_ sired the child and you, Lord Sesshomaru was just…helping you, but I see…"

Sesshomaru's eyes flashed with jealousy at the thought, and Inuyasha moved to stop his outburst – too late.  
"As if I would allow such a low-level demon to bed _my_ mate. I think not…" That did it, Inuyasha stood there uselessly as the full horror of their situation dawned on the Slayer's face. She looked stunned.

"Oh… Mates, as in… Intercourse and…the bonding and… Oh…"  
Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably at her shocked expression.  
"Yeah…I guess." He moved away from Sesshomaru a little more, suddenly feeling the brunt of the Demon Lord's suffocating closeness.  
"I have heard things, but having never seen a half-demon with your abilities I guess I took it for legend more than anything truthful. You should have come to us if you thought there was something wrong…"

Sesshomaru's temper twitched slightly at her choice of words, whereas Inuyasha merely shrugged offhandedly.  
"What was I supposed to say?" The Half-demon asked, "_'Sango, Kagome, why is my ass bleeding_?'"  
She frowned at that.  
"Thanks Inuyasha, didn't need the visual."  
He smirked slightly at her surprisingly understanding tone, like the one he was used to, the one he remembered (though not the one he'd expected).

"Half-demons such as Inuyasha may be fewer and far between but there is nothing _'wrong'_ with him, as you so _delicately_ put it. He is just pregnant, that is all." Sesshomaru said, voice dangerously quiet.  
"Stop saying that dammit!" Inuyasha yelled, "Stop saying that word! You make me feel like a fat house-wife the way you talk!"

Again, that comment may have amused him had he not been so thoroughly annoyed at Inuyasha's brush-off attitude. He could care less if Inuyasha felt uncomfortable under this mortal's gaze. He was Lord Sesshomaru, and no Half-demon brat would cling to him one moment and push him away the next, before all-but saying there was something _'wrong'_ with his child.

_Such a foolish little Half-breed,_ he thought scathingly.

"'Uncommon' and 'wrong' are two different things," The Demon Lord persisted, "It seems you are taking a step backwards, Inuyasha – or was I mistaken in believing you were starting to accept your new life?"  
Inuyasha felt the embarrassment rise in his cheeks, and could not bring himself to look at his Slayer friend with this…this disgusting look crossing his features. If she knew how Sesshomaru dominated him, ruled over his body, if she knew how Sesshomaru affected him…

_She'd be disgusted for sure,_ he thought, _if she knew how I've started to give in to every command and whim…_

"New life?" The Slayer asked quizzically, but Inuyasha did not answer. So Sesshomaru did.  
"As my mate he has an obligation to me that covers all else. He for many reasons has a responsibility to the Western Lands, to my castle, to our pup and any future offspring – and _me_. Thus do not expect his aid each time this mortal dwelling is in jeopardy. You will have to learn to care for it yourself. Inuyasha belongs to the demon world now, and he will have no further duties in human lands. Do you comprehend my words, Slayer?"

Inuyasha's ears slicked back into his head, he couldn't believe Sesshomaru had just said that – to Sango! And more importantly, had not even considered him before he'd spoken. Inuyasha knew he put his foot in it almost every time he opened his mouth, but 'Lord High and mighty', who at every turn told him just how inferior he was, should have known better. And judging by his expression, he did not even realise what he'd done wrong.

"And who're you to tell me what to do?" Inuyasha cut across him. "I didn't listen to you when you were my brother and I sure as hell ain't gonna take a blind bit of notice now you're my stinkin' mate!" Seeing the anger flare in his brother's eyes should have been enough to silence him, but he had become far too accustomed to the 'nice' Sesshomaru – he had all-but forgotten how much damage the Demon Lord could do to his body if he wanted to. "I've made every decision for myself so far! I could have left you! I could have crushed your cold, icy heart while you were sleeping! I could have ripped this pup out of me but I didn't even though sometimes I wanted to!"

Crimson fury flashed across the Demon's vision briefly. Inuyasha could sense his rage boiling to the surface, he could feel it scorching his mark, but he didn't care – he was mad too.  
"Silence your foolish mouth, Inuyasha, before I force you to. Do not think I will hesitate to discipline you before your friends." At this Inuyasha felt his temper soar. He may treat him like a bitch but he had no right to let Sango know just what a whipped puppy he had become.

"You selfish bastard! You don't even consider me in what you're saying! First that bitch Kokoro and now this? In case you forgot what a supreme asshole you were – This was my home while you were off pretending I didn't exist, these people cared about me while you were trying to kill me! If anything my loyalty lies with them not you! Because they've taken care of me when my _family_ neglected to! You ruined my life! Where do you get _any_ rights to tell me what to do?"

Suddenly Sesshomaru's fangs glinted ominously, their sheen exposed with the feral growl that startled everyone present. Inuyasha jumped back in instinct as his brother shot towards him. He felt those clawed hands move to seize him but he threw himself backwards, swiping at those offending limbs nastily before skidding to a halt, feet tingling from the friction against the ground. He felt something inside him come to life again, a flicker of himself that he thought had been lost to Sesshomaru's persistent _'grooming'_ of his behaviour…

"I'm gonna kick your ass 'til it's a whole new shape," Inuyasha growled. Sesshomaru arced a brow.  
"Whilst you are expecting? Not very fatherly of you, Inuyasha – or should I say _motherly_."  
Inuyasha snarled, darting forwards. Suddenly, a burning bolt of scarlet flames shot past him, causing both he and Sesshomaru to stumble backwards slightly to avoid being singed by the attack. Both brothers paused, looking to Takara, who had moved to Sango's side, though the Demon Slayer looked just as horrified as they were.

"Forgive me, My Lords," he murmured humbly, bowing his head slightly, "but to engage in such a reckless battle would be fatal to your pup. I cannot let you destroy it in a moment's rage. I would never forgive myself, _you_ would never forgive yourselves." Sesshomaru looked strangely humbled by the Servant's disappointment, though Inuyasha was awestruck.

"I didn't know you had power over the fire element," Inuyasha said, stunned. Takara smiled.  
"There are only two born each generation. And each pair are destined for each-other – Nannami is the other, we are soul mates."  
"Nannami's an elemental too?" He cocked his head slightly, as if he were wondering how the knowledge could have escaped him. "That makes you pretty powerful though, right?" Inuyasha asked, and Takara nodded humbly. "Well then, why are you just a servant for Sesshomaru?"

The Demon Lord offered Takara a vacant look, and the azure-eyed demon smiled once more. "My servitude to Sesshomaru is voluntary. I was your father's friend. When he was away I took care of Sesshomaru – taught him. Then when Lord Inu-no-Taishou died, I remained in the castle as Sesshomaru's advisor since he was still such a young boy, and have remained his advisor ever since." Takara looked quite proud, though Sesshomaru was still expressionless.  
"It is difficult to come across someone you trust utterly," Sesshomaru said, "Isn't it, Inuyasha?" Inuyasha ignored him, still not forgiving his earlier behaviour.

"I better go see where the rest of the villagers are," Sango said, interrupting the short silence that had fallen. "I don't know if Hikireimaru will truly release everyone. Inuyasha, will you stay with Kohaku and the boys for me?" Before Inuyasha had a chance to argue, she moved forwards, hooking the Hirakoitsu over her shoulder.  
"I will go with her, if only to make sure this is over with quickly so we may leave again," Sesshomaru said, "Takara, stay with Inuyasha."

How was it that Inuyasha had been left behind by both Sango and Sesshomaru, to baby-sit a few human children when in reality, Takara was babysitting him? He didn't quite know how he had been ushered into Kaede's hut and cooked for by the boy Slayer, but as night fell he found himself watching the humans fall prey to slumber nearby. Eventually, he too fell into his old position against the wall, Tetsusaiga against his shoulder and his arms encircling his stomach (which had been as restless as he that evening).

Takara sat between him and the door, gaze occasionally falling over him, as if to make sure he hadn't died in the few seconds he had looked away. Inuyasha could see why Sesshomaru trusted him. It wasn't just that he was loyal, or that he was powerful, or good at his job, Inuyasha could tell that there was an odd devotion behind his eyes - the same kind that had glistened in Sango's eyes when he had handed her sons back to her. The way Kagome used to look at Shippo. Perhaps even the way he now petted his busy pup through his stomach, as if to quiet it.

The moonlight slithered through the wooden walls, and Inuyasha stared thoughtfully through the reed-matting over the door. "Geez, why're they _taking_ so long," he growled impatiently. Waiting was never something he was good at.  
"Once they find the villagers they had to get them all back here," Takara said softly, "that's women and children and probably some injured men too. They will return by morning, Young Sire. You should get some sleep."  
Inuyasha ignored the last comment, sighing heavily.  
"He's pissed at me isn't he? Sesshomaru I mean."  
Takara shrugged lightly.  
"Well he possesses about as much patience and control over his temper as any man in your line Young Sire. He will nevertheless recover swiftly; surely you can feel his anger has subsided?" The Servant asked. Inuyasha tilted his head to gaze at him through the dimness.  
"More like non-existent. How can he be so damn calm all the time?" He watched Takara smile, but the demon offered no answer. "It should be _me_ out there with Sango, not him."  
"He's taking care of things for you, Lord Inuyasha, like a mate should do. You are pregnant after all-"  
"-Well he's out there with a raging heat – that's gotta be some impairment to his abilities."

Again Takara did not answer, and as a thoughtful silence fell, Inuyasha realised something. "Takara? How come you're not in heat?"  
The Demon looked to him. "Pardon?"  
"Well, everyone goes into heat at this time, and Nannami isn't pregnant but neither of you are in heat. How come?"

A sad smile played across the Demon's lips, and he returned his gaze to the doorway before answering. "Nanna and I are not able to have children," he said simply, though with a weight pressing upon his words as if he were struggling for breath. It was odd to see such a strong, cheerful person so melancholy.  
"Oh," said Inuyasha, feeling the discomfort of his swollen belly increase slightly with that knowledge. "How come?" That familiar, telltale silence fell briefly, before Takara seemed able to summon up the right words.

"When the castle was still under Lord Inu-no-Taishou's rule, there was a raid. Nanna and I were in charge of Sesshomaru with the Lord away (dealing with Sesshomaru's mother) and so Nannami took Young Sesshomaru into hiding, whilst I tried to form some sort of restraint against the assailants…"

_Panic ensued. The doors did not hold, even with demon magic, not without the Great Dog-Demon within the castle to enforce it. Chaos was everywhere. Bodies lay bloodied and trampled on the floor of the main foyer, forgotten. Then there was fire, swallowing the enemy before they could draw breath, but that weapon of Takara's was soon rendered useless when they forced their way into the building. If he used his powers here, the whole castle would go up in flames. He tilted his head to watch the soldiers surge forwards to keep the enemy from flooding in through the great doors which now hung limply from their hinges._

_The violently thudding heart leapt into is throat when he saw Nannami speeding down the stairs, crimson hair flaring about her before she skidded to a halt at his side. "What are they?"  
"They are from the Lord Sesshomaru's mother presumably." As he answered an awful shriek sounded from the doors, and Nannami looked to her mate in panic.  
"I'll get Lord Sesshomaru, you beat them back."  
He nodded, watching her take the stairs three at a time, barely touching the floor._

_The sounds of battle echoed up the staircase, and the Demoness pushed them to the back fo her mind as she stumbled over the last few stairs. Charging along the top floor's hallway, she all but threw herself against the Lord Sesshomaru's door. With ragged breathing she descended upon the bed, jostling the small boy within until he awoke with a stubborn, sleepy cry of negation._

_"Sire, wake up."_

_He ignored her, rolling onto his stomach. A low growl emanated from her lips as she seized his shoulders, turning him over roughly. He glared up at her with sleep still in his eyes. It was quite obvious he had no idea what she was doing here in the middle of the night. "Put your arms around my neck," she ordered, leaning down.  
"I don't have to do what you tell me to!" he murmured sulkily, "you're not my-"  
"-SESSHOMARU!" It was the first time she had ever called him that, and her anger startled him. He did as he was told, looping his arms about her neck as she scooped him up into her embrace, before dashing through the open door._

_One swift glance at the way she had come told her they had already followed her up, and she darted up the other end, throwing the door open to the Lord Inu-no-Taishou's study. Sesshomaru clung to her with panicked confusion. Crimson eyes scanned the room. There was no way out but from the window. She threw the panels open, staring down into the garden below. Footsteps thundered behind her. Cries. Screams. She wrapped both arms round the small boy and leapt._

_Her muscles and bones screamed as she hit the floor. Her legs creaked as she stumbled to her feet but she was a demon, and there was no permanent damage done. The Young Sire was crying now. There were footsteps behind them again, drumming in her ears. They were trapped. Dropping the boy to his feet by tree in the courtyard, she turned to face the masses surging behind her._

_She was thrown to the ground. She heard Sesshomaru scream. Her clothes and dignity were torn away by vicious hands, and she felt her body taken until she screamed as well. Her own claws tore into the body above her, hands clasping around his vile throat, flames scorching the flesh beneath her hands. He didn't release her except to smack her resisting face. Sesshomaru screamed again, throwing himself forwards, small claws raking into the demon's arm, poison seeping from his fingertips that was not yet strong enough to cause any real harm._

_Backhanding the attacking child, the demon sent him hurtling backwards, abandoning Nannami's abused body. She rolled onto her side, screaming in bitter agony to watch him advance upon Sesshomaru, sword in hand. Leaping to her feet despite her body's protest, the Demoness, plunged her claws into his throat, but not before the blade he wielded spun to pierce through her stomach. She fell backwards into darkness, Sesshomaru darting to her side, afraid and unsure of what to do. "Nannami-sensei?" She would not awaken, nor stir, not until the days passed, and Takara sat at her bedside, struggling to tell her, what she was sure she already knew…_

"So…she couldn't have kids," said Inuyasha delicately, unsure of how the now glassy-eyed Takara expected him to react. "But surely you would still get heats?"  
The Demon shook his head.  
"Elementals are different. The males only go into heat when their female does – which means we don't have a heat until we are mated. Odd really… Nonetheless, since Nannami's body is unable to have them, neither am I. And since I was unwilling to lie with another to gain an heir to my family lineage, we have remained childless." Sensing Inuyasha's question Takara looked to him at last, that sad smile still lingering on his lips. "She did not want me to find a surrogate mother, and I did not want to lay with anyone but her. And I did not leave her merely because of her 'inability'. I would rather have Nannami than a _dozen_ children…"

Inuyasha smiled then. Nannami, like Takara was a good person. It was so rare that two good people found each other, and were happy together...

But in light of this sad story, another thought fluttered into his already raging mind. "So, Nannami rescued Sesshomaru?" he asked, still reeling from the thought of a young Sesshomaru. Takara nodded. "And I guess, that's why Sesshomaru lets Nannami tease him all the time? Because she protected him, and lost everything in the process?" Inuyasha frowned at the long pause between his question and the Servant's answer, worried he had pried too far.

Takara smiled at the use of the word _'teasing'_. "Only half right. Yes that is why in many respects. But she didn't lose everything…"

Inuyasha said nothing more. His back was beginning to hurt. After four months of lounging in Sesshomaru's bed, the hard unforgiving floor was murder against his back. Sleep gnawed at his senses, and he only prayed the others would return soon…

Just as the moon dipped downwards toward the horizon, and the sun began to struggle to rise, the matting over the door was pushed aside, and Takara looked up at the Demon Lord that strode through the door. Sesshomaru's immediate attention fell on the slumbering half-demon, who was propped up against the wall awkwardly.

"Did you find them Sire?" Takara asked quietly. Sesshomaru nodded as he moved over to Inuyasha, straightening the Half-demon up on the floor so he looked more comfortable. After arranging his brother carefully, he dropped to the boy's side rather unceremoniously, leaning against the wall beside him so that mokomoko-sama could curl around the smaller frame and warm him up.

For a moment, Takara regarded his Lord, before coughing quietly, drawing the Demon's gaze from the Half-demon to himself once more. "The Humans?" he persisted, his voice still hushed. Sesshomaru remained impassive.  
"It is something to be said for Hikireimaru, that he did not lie in regard to the villagers. They were indeed released. Apparently they were herded like animals from the village and held somewhere nearby. Though with so many young and elderly they were unwilling to make the journey back without some assistance." Sesshomaru stared at the dying fire thoughtfully, before continuing. "It seems the mortals knew that the Slayer would come after them…"

A thoughtful silence fell, neither demon willing to break the thin veil of their ponderings.

"In regards to Hikireimaru, Sire," Takara continued when he realised Sesshomaru was not going to speak again. "The meeting it seemed…rather anti-climactic."  
The Demon Lord smirked at his choice of words, tipping his head back tiredly.  
"Indeed…though I do not believe he has gone far…" He cast his gaze to the slumbering boy beside him, his fur twitching slightly as it coiled round the cold body. "We are out of the castle bounds now, he will not waste this opportunity. This stunt with the villagers must have required a great deal of planning and effort – he would not have gone to all this trouble to settle for a swift grope of my brother's stomach. No…he is not far away…"

The thought permeated the cool, early morning air as silence rang throughout the hut, the odd scuffling of the villagers returning to their homes being all that was heard. Still, Inuyasha's ears twitched slightly in sleep, and it was all Sesshomaru could do to not stroke them. "Shall we move on before daybreak, Sire?" Takara asked, "It would require waking the Young Lord, however…"

Sesshomaru looked at him, almost suspiciously, as if he knew what Takara was suggesting. "I am not incapable of protecting my mate, we will permit him sleep. He will undoubtedly desire to bid farewell to his old comrades in any case."

Takara nodded, turning to lie on the floor and attempt sleep. His mouth twitched into a smile at his Lord's decision. Perhaps he knew Sesshomaru better than he'd imagined…

Inuyasha's nose wrinkled as something brushed against it softly. And again. And again. It flicked gently like an unamused cat's tail, though it was softer…warmer. His body stretched feebly as he began to stir. The coils of warmth surrounding him caressing his flesh tenderly. He felt the sunlight on his face, at least he was sure that's what it was, and when his golden eyes finally opened upon the world for the first time that day, he saw his assumption was correct, but allowing his attention to flow downwards, he discovered something…odd.

No wonder he had felt so warm – despite where he slept, despite the dead ashes of the fire from the night before that lay stone cold nearby. Fur – _Sesshomaru's_ fur lay draped over him, curling around him like it was _his_ damn fur companion. He didn't know _what_ the heck that thing was – all he knew was that it moved of its own accord – screw that it _was_ moving of its own accord, and it was Sesshomaru's. And it was on him? Why?

Sitting up slowly, he steadied his weight on one hand as he gazed about the hut. It was empty, save for himself, and the Demon Lord that stared down at him from his right. Inuyasha growled quietly, recalling the argument (and near-battle) of the night before all-too vividly. "What're you watching me for?" he grumbled.  
Sesshomaru smirked. Leaning over, he pressed his hands to either side of Inuyasha as he stared down at him thoughtfully.  
"Ensuring you were not disturbed. Your friends tried to do so at least nine times – the bothersome kitsune proved most irritating in his continuous attempts."

Inuyasha turned away as Sesshomaru tried to capture his lips in a chaste kiss, the half-demon shifting uncomfortably as the Demon Lord instead then bathed his neck with leisurely flicks of his tongue.  
"Stop…" Inuyasha murmured, still angry from yesterday. "Not here. This is…If you take me here I'll never forgive you."

Sesshomaru paused, drawing back just enough so that he could view his brother's concerned expression, that currently lay directed at the opposite wall. "Inuyasha-?"  
"-I don't want Sango and the others to see what you've turned me into…I'm not the person they knew…I don't want them to know that so just…" He paused, raising his gaze to Sesshomaru at last. "Just leave me alone while we're here." That voice that carried such bitterness… Why did it concern Sesshomaru at all? He moved off of Inuyasha, watched him drink from the bowl of water he, Sesshomaru had fetched earlier in anticipation of his waking soon. It was times like this that he wanted the arrogant brat of a Half-demon back, at least he knew what to do, and how to react to that Inuyasha…

"Owww…" The Demon Lord startled from his gaze at the low grumble from Inuyasha, watching him wince as he rolled his shoulders painfully. "Stupid pregnant body parts…"  
Sesshomaru smirked.  
"Something ails you?" the Demon asked.  
At this Inuyasha offered him a bemused look.  
"Yeah, something does, and half of that something is yours…"

Sighing slightly, Sesshomaru leant over, smoothing the kimono down the boys shoulders so that it bunched in the crook of his elbows.  
"What're you…" His sharp tone was cut off by those fingertips smoothing along his spine, causing him to slouch forward instinctively. "Geez…" he growled softly, Eyelids fluttering as he felt tender muscles massaged gently in slow gyrations. He leant further forwards, body reflexively arcing under tickling touches.

Heavy breath spilled from Sesshomaru's lips. It hadn't bothered him for the better part of the night but now his heat prickled his skin once more, and that look of innocent bliss on his oblivious brother's face only made him want it more, but he couldn't… One moment of pleasure right now was not worth the possible outcomes, and regardless, for some reason seeing his brother so silently grateful for (what he was unaware was sincere) affection was enough.

Pressing the pads of his thumbs gently into Inuyasha's shoulder blades he relished in the all-but silent, shuddering whisper. Obeying the quiet command he lowered his attention to the base of the boy's spine, pressuring gently to watch those hips dance forwards spasmodically. "Does that feel better?" he asked, unable to push the lust completely from his voice. Inuyasha's nodded, evidently incapable of speech as Sesshomaru swept silver hair off the Half-demon's shoulder, massaging the other gently whilst he placed the exposed shoulder with gentle nips. He watched the pulse race beneath the iridescent scar he was so familiar with, and he smiled against it. "I see you can feel the affects of my heat in just this part?" he muttered, flicking his tongue over the scar before turning his attention to Inuyasha's bare, swollen stomach.

"Your skin…" he muttered, running his hands over the stomach, and feeling Inuyasha's cheeks grow hot with awkward embarrassment beside his own flesh.  
"Yeah, I know," Inuyasha growled impatiently, he didn't want to look at his stomach, stretched skin…marks…he hated it, and he sure as hell didn't want Sesshomaru to look.  
"It looks-"  
"-Yes, painful," he interrupted, "more stinging than anything. Have I already said its your fault?"  
Sesshomaru growled softly in response,  
"Several times." The Demon pulled back, permitting Inuyasha to straighten up his clothing and struggle to his feet, covering his initial embarrassment with the anger he seemed to recall from earlier.

As Inuyasha stood, he inhaled heavily before grumbling under his breath. "Ninja food…"  
Sesshomaru frowned.  
"I beg your pardon?" Sesshomaru asked. The Half-demon turned, regarding him with a thoughtful look.  
"I want ninja food."

A soft sigh emanated from the Demon as he came to his realisation – confounded cravings, after months of escaping that dreaded side-effect of pregnancy, it had arrived. "Explain to me this _'ninja food'_…" he ordered. Inuyasha looked thoughtful, a feat in itself.  
"It's like load of slimy string with these tasty gooey bits thrown in."  
Sesshomaru raised a brow.  
"Slimy string…" he repeated. _He eats slimy string?_ He thought. _He eats slimy string but he wont eat demon food without cringing? _

Regardless, he would have to send Jaken out for this slimy string. If that was what Inuyasha wanted, that was what he got. "Where can I find this 'slimy string' you so desire?"  
Inuyasha offered him a derisive look.  
"Just wait 500 years."  
Again, Sesshomaru frowned.  
"But by then you would have – oh, I see, inappropriate sarcasm," he responded, his tone not amused as he watched Inuyasha disappear through the doorway.

No sooner had he stepped into the sunlight to escape Sesshomaru, than he stopped, his path blocked by familiar faces he had both longed and dreaded seeing again. "Inuyasha," the Monk acknowledged, his trademark smile accompanying his upbeat tone. "It appears that my good woman was telling the truth earlier – you appear to be pregnant."  
"Oh well done," Inuyasha retorted, covering his stomach awkwardly, as that _'very-Inuyasha'_ sulk returned. "Congratulations, I was beginning to think everyone of you guys had turned into a complete retard while I was gone."

Miroku smiled. "Nice to see you haven't changed, Inuyasha." When the Half-demon didn't respond to him, he surveyed him carefully, evidently taking note of his appearance, just as Sango had done the day before. "How far along are you – with the pregnancy I mean?" he asked, evidently feeling the strangeness at asking another man that question. Inuyasha blushed furiously.  
"How long you _think_?" He asked indignantly. "I can't get much fatter can I?"  
"Demonic pregnancies advance differently, do they not?"  
"Keh…" Inuyasha growled in response.  
"Indeed," Sesshomaru answered for him, "it is nearing the end of the pregnancy now-"  
"-Shut up!"  
"So how many times did you err…" the Monk paused mid-question, offering his friend a perverted look, "…How many times did you have to _'try'_ before you got pregnant."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "MIROKU YOU PERVERT!" He dived forwards, fist missing the monk by inches as he sidestepped out of the attack.  
"I now realise the error of my ways, Dear friend," Miroku said with a teasing tone, "Inuyasha, will you do me the honour of bearing my children?"

It was in that moment, where no one moved, simply checking if they'd heard correctly. It was hard to tell who'd kill Miroku first, Sango, Inuyasha or Sesshomaru. SMACK! It seemed Sango had beaten the brothers to it.  
"Letch! This isn't the time to be joking around!" Her husband smiled stupidly at her. "He needs acceptance and reassurance right now-"  
"-Sango, I'm not a girl! I can handle-"  
"-INUYASHA!" Suddenly a small blur leapt onto Miroku's shoulder, shrill tones making Inuyasha smile despite himself.

"Shippo," he said softly, not able to suppress the affection from his voice. "What're you-"  
"-Inuyasha…" he squeaked, wide teary eyes regarding the Half-demon before he darted forwards. Inuyasha prepared for the hyper kitsune to leap at him, only to have the little demon caught mid-air by his tail – by Sesshomaru.  
"Sesshomaru-"  
"-You will take care when you charge at my Brother like that when he is expecting."

Inuyasha growled at his words, smacking Sesshomaru's hands away, and catching the kitsune upside down before he tumbled to the ground. The Half-demon sighed, turning the boy round so that he was the right way up.

"Inuyasha you're pregnant!" The kitsune cried with that characteristic bliss Inuyasha had recalled him for. He wondered how long it would take Shippo to age. After all this time he'd known him, the kid hadn't grown at all, though nor had he (Inuyasha) either. But did kitsune age differently to dog demons? He wasn't sure, and was not permitted the chance to linger too long over the prospect of a Shippo that would grow older than him, it was wierd enough that _Rin_ would eventually do so...

"Where did you go?" The Fox-child whimpered, "We were searching for all this time, and you just disappeared. Why didn't you come back to tell us you were alright?"  
Inuyasha gnawed his lip, before dropping the kitsune onto his feet, brushing off his inner guilt and awkwardness.  
"I didn't have time to," he said grouchily, "I was fighting with Sesshomaru for the better part of these last few months, and well…with this whole pup thing I never really had a chance, until now…"

Shippo stared up at him for that moment, as if considering whether he was telling the truth or not, before leaping onto the Half-demon's shoulder and tugging an ear gently to get his attention.

"I guess I'll forgive you, since you actually _have_ got a reason to be grumpy at the moment."

Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched, and he refrained from thumping the kid on the head. He could cover it up however he liked, but he knew inside (and he was sure they knew too) that he had missed them. That thought was followed by a familiar purr from his feet, and he looked down to the cat-demon weaving between his legs. He smiled. "Kilala, hey, how're you doin'?" She mewled as he petted her carefully. A shadow cast over his currently kneeling body, and he stared upwards.

"Err…Hey, Kaede. I guess the whole village knows."

The elder stared at Sesshomaru first, the two sharing some evidently silent understanding, before she shone her aged smile upon Inuyasha.  
"Indeed, Ye are with child, a maginificently odd yet welcome occurrence. I am sure Lord Sesshomaru will take good care of ye both from now on."

That same telltale blush suffused the Half-demon's face with colour, though he received no chance to retaliate before the old woman spoke once more. "I have been speaking with Lord Sesshomaru's servant, Takara. He informed me of a few details that the village gossip did not tell…"

The Priestess looked between the brothers, her one good eye portraying some sort of understanding of something that wasn't there. "There is nothing you will ever receive but welcome here, Inuyasha. This has been your village and forest ever since my Sister's time, and it will remain so until the day you die." Inuyasha could not help but smirk at that.  
"Keh..." he murmured, hiding his relief at the all-round acceptance he had not expected in the least.

"It is, admittedly odd for two men to be together so openly – at least among humans," Miroku said, suddenly breaking his silence, a very stern look crossing his features. "And being blood-brothers indeed does not help any, however…" He moved forwards, patting his Half-demon friend on his free shoulder gently. "They are not so taboo amongst demons, and if your culture supports it, so must we, as your friends do the same. After all," he offered another smile, this time one devoid of perverseness, "if you are happy, and alive, and safe, what more could we ask for?"  
Inuyasha pushed his friend away carefully, crossing his arms before his chest.  
"What a load of sissy crap, you act like I was actually _worried_ about what you thought. Geez…"

The Slayer rolled her eyes before stepping forwards, scooping the Fox-child off his shoulder. "Come on Shippo, you got no sleep with all that excitement, you'd better get some now."  
"Oh, come on Sango, I wanna talk with Inuyasha some more!" he exclaimed to the Slayer who ignored his protests as she took her brown-haired daughter by her hand, the child's mortal, azure eyes flickering to Inuyasha with the dimmest recognition before she and Shippo were taken inside their hut, where the cries of their new brothers sounded.

Inuyasha stared after them, an odd sadness brewing in his chest, making it hard to breathe, making his eyes sting. He growled under his breath obstinately. He realised as he had before, though had dared to hope its change – Shippo belonged to Sango and Miroku now. There was no more vacant dream that he and Kagome would raise him along with their own potential pups… It was the last of his past dream torn away, and it hurt to realise he'd never have it.

Sesshomaru, who had remained silent, watched his mate carefully as Inuyasha's misery swelled in his chest.

"I'll be back in a moment," Inuyasha announced suddenly, departing company from the Old Priestess and the monk, as he moved in the direction of his forest, Sesshomaru hot on his heels.

The breeze that rustled the trees greeted him; brushing back tamed silver locks and welcoming him back after his long time away from it. "Stop following me, Sesshomaru," he growled, halting at the Sacred tree as he reached it, and stared pensively up into its branches. He felt at home here, felt an odd sense of warmth and assurance in the place where its branches had protected him for over 50 years, where his blood had merged with bark – where he had spoken with Kagome across time…

Kagome… Was she what held him here? He could feel her warmth against his chest from where he had held her, even now. He felt her arms around him. Or was it her warmth he felt? Staring down, he found his brother's embrace enveloping him, his brother's chest pressing against him. A strange kind of tenderness came from Sesshomaru right then, not just through their embrace but through ther marks as well.

"If it would please you, you may bring the kitsune back with you," the Demon Lord said, his voice softer than it had ever been before. Inuyasha growled under his breath at being caught out. He hated that Sesshomaru could all-but read his mind at times like these.  
"I can't…" he murmured, glad for the hug to hide his shameful sad eyes in the fur draped over his brother's shoulder. "I can't ask him to choose, not now Sango and Miroku have been here for him, been his parents when I was being selfish on my own… I didn't give one thought to him, and they…they've shown him a normal family. He has brothers, and a sister…and old Kaede… I couldn't ask him to choose between us, it's not fair, not when I already know he _belongs_ with them, not me…"

There was that irritating sadness in his baby brother again, and he hated it. He loathed the way those eyes hid their glassy tears that were too stubborn to fall, or the way those ears slid back into his hair pitifully. Disracting the Half-demon from this pain, it was necessary for some reason, a reason he was coming to understand all too well…

"In regards to earlier, Little Brother," Sesshomaru said at last, stepping back from Inuyasha slightly. "What I told your Slayer… The way I made your choice for you…" He paused again, and Inuyasha raised his eyes to him, evidently seeing the strangeness of Sesshomaru struggling for words. "I had no right to disregard you in that manner-"  
"-No, you didn't," Inuyasha retorted, voice quite blank.  
"However, I was merely…attempting to protect you. By making the correct decisions for you, I admit…I was unsure you would make the right one," the Demon managed out. Inuyasha whirled around to face him.  
"You didn't even give me the _chance_ to make _any_ decision! Even if what I want is wrong you should at least consider it. And besides, you should have had more faith in me…"  
Sesshomaru smirked, nodding slightly.  
"I will endeavour to do so in the future."

As the breeze caressed the two in the clearing, Inuyasha stared up at the Sacred tree, feeling that warmth reach him again. He seemed to share everything with this tree, times with Kikyo, Kagome, even this moment with Sesshomaru. It reminded him of the things he was leaving behind – his friends, the village; they would still be here, but it would never be the way it was before…

As well as reminding him of the friends he would always have, (even when they were gone) the tree reminded him of what life he was walking into, as he walked away from his old one and found himself brushing his fingers over his busy pup absently. Even as tears struggled to be free, he was reminded of the inevitability of stepping onward as time did the same. It didn't make it any less difficult, or any less sad, but it made it understandable. He wasn't abandoning them, they knew that, and as long as he knew they were here, and happy, and welcoming if he decided to come see them, that was all he could ask for, as he followed Sesshomaru towards what lay ahead.

TBC

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Translation note:  
**Akane** - Sango's daughter, her name means 'Dark red'  
**Kyou** - One of Sango's boys, it means 'Ginger' - but it can have other meanings too.  
**Kuri** - Kyou's twin brother, his name means 'Chestnut' which is a colour lol.

A/N: Mush, angst, emo-inuyasha, what more could you want? Did everyone like the flashback? I hoped it would show some insight into why Sesshomaru seems close to Takara and Nannami. Hope you appreciated that ^_^ Neways, please review ^_^

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	23. Burning Hunger for Comfort

Author's Note:  
This I hope gives Inuyasha back some of his fight as well as the brothers a little more advance in their relationship. An original character I hope you'll like makes his appearance here. I drew picture of him too ^_^ So please see the bottom A/N for a picture of him when you're done reading ^_^

**WARNING FOR: References to Shouta and mild torture.**

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**Chapter Twenty-Three  
Burning Hunger for Comfort**

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The village that would remain forever his, fell away into the distance. It had been hard to say goodbye, even knowing that he was always welcome to return whenever he wished. He would miss his friends, the same way he had missed them these past months, but as they moved into their new lives, with their children, so must he press onward for the sake of his own. It was not completely down to this that his mood worsened as he, Sesshomaru and Takara travelled onward, it was more due to the fact that he felt lonely, and guilty and he _knew_ Sesshomaru could sense that. As ever, he hated being caught out in the subject of his emotions.

Sesshomaru cast a thoughtful glance at him every so often as they walked side-by-side, feeling his brother's emotions raging in his own mind, though respecting his wish for a little space. He wouldn't touch Inuyasha, if that was what he wanted. However this tempestuous emotion would have to cease, if he were to maintain any control over his heat. Casting a swift look to Takara who walked with Ah-Un just before them, he turned to Inuyasha.

"Guilt…" he murmured softly, for the Half-demon's ears only. Inuyasha inclined his head slightly to look at him. "I can sense it exuding from you in waves. It seems to be one thing after another with you, Inuyasha. Pray tell, what grieves you now?"

Evidently struggling his hardest not to retaliate to his brother's comments, Inuyasha grated his fangs together before chancing speech. "Nothing…" he responded blankly, unwilling to betray his true reason. The concept would only make the Demon Lord laugh. Sesshomaru stopped then, his Baby brother pausing beside him, unable to do anything else but meet the Demon's thoughtful gaze.  
"I was under the impression you wished to move on from these childish games. You may have not realised it until now, Little Brother but I am all you have, if you hide yourself away from me, you will not have anyone."

Inuyasha blinked, the words sinking in. The Demon Lord evidently was unaware of the amount of hypocrisy in those words. Inuyasha…open up to him? When he had yet to do the same? _Yeah,_ thought Inuyasha, the guilt throbbing dully in his chest. _But Sesshomaru is being a lot better about these things than I am… What have I done? Just…_

"Look," said Inuyasha at last, scratching the back of his neck, not for the first nor last time in an attempt to hide his awkwardness. "I just… When we were at the village…with Hikireimaru and everything going on you…you were looking after me over everything else – weren't you?" he asked. Sesshomaru inclined his head slightly to regard his brother upon sensing the awkwardness in that statement. He merely nodded in response. "I was…I was just a brat," Inuyasha continued quite bluntly. "I know. I know I push you away when I want to and ask for it when it suits me and I…" He lowered his head, mumbling incoherent words to the ground.  
"I beg your pardon?" the Demon Lord asked. Inuyasha growled in response to this.  
"I said I guess I'm sorry!"

A stunned smirk played across Sesshomaru's lips. _His_ little brother, apologise? The suggestion was preposterous, and yet…

"I realise you're trying, and I'm just… But I'll try to do better from now on, alright?" His voice held such defiance and telltale gruffness, each attempting to alleviate some of his initial embarrassment by feigning the return of his course behaviour. Still smiling, Sesshomaru spoke.  
"Might ask what I have done to warrant this change of heart from you?"  
Inuyasha scowled.  
"Who said I did it for _you_? Presumptuous idiot…" The Half-demon turned to continue along the dirt road, when Sesshomaru caught his wrist, twisting his body to face him. Their eyes locked. He couldn't do it…how could Inuyasha explain it? That when those arms surrounded him at the Sacred Tree, the same way that Kagome's had, he felt something stir in him…something that showered realisation upon him. He could keep dwelling in the past, lingering in the misery, acting like a brat forever more, but it wouldn't get him anywhere, and it wouldn't make the pain go away…

The pensiveness caused him to worry his lower lip between his fangs, unaware of his brother's eyes studying the manoeuvre. The Demon traced the swollen lip with his clawed thumb, parting that mouth slightly so that humid breath spilled into the chilly morning air. The fingers that held the Half-demon's chin tilted slightly, as if signalling he should make the next move.

Casting a swift glance back to make sure Takara wasn't watching, Inuyasha leant up on his toes to place his parted lips to Sesshomaru's impassive mouth. As he moved upwards he watched Sesshomaru's crimson-lidded eyes slide shut before the kiss fluttered against him.

His mate's arousal flared, and Inuyasha felt the pup offer him a reprimanding kick, as if to remind him of its Sire's condition. He drew back, flushed, staring awkwardly to the side.  
"So where are we going now anyway?" He questioned, attempting to distract his brother from the blush riding across his cheeks. "Since I know we're not going home; home's the other way."  
"Indeed," The Demon Lord murmured, "We are going to a nearby Demon village, the Village leader has requested an audience with me, and it could not be put of any longer." He moved to continue after Takara, but paused. "Is that alright with you?" the Demon added. Inuyasha blinked a little startled at the question.  
"Yeah…I guess… Are we staying there?"

Sesshomaru began to walk once more, slowing his stride so that Inuyasha could easily keep up with him. "There will be sleeping chambers arranged for us for the night. I am to understand, however, that we must share with Takara however, is that to your approval?"  
Inuyasha shrugged.  
"S'Long as it's in a bed I could care less," he grumbled, "I don't wanna sleep on the floor again."  
Sesshomaru smirked.  
"That will not be necessary; there will be decent bedding for you to rest on. We will only be required to stay for one night before we may move on. It will not take us long to reach home from there."

Inuyasha said nothing, but he felt his senses eased slightly by that knowledge. He didn't want to be out in the world anymore, with people staring at him. And this meeting they were heading to now, they would regard him with that painful curiosity. He'd never liked being stared at, he had his half-demon appearance to thank for that, but (as Takara assured him was the norm for pregnant Dog demons) he felt the supreme need to shy away from any attention other than Sesshomaru's at this time.

The scent of demons fluttered against his senses, and he knew the demon village was nearby. He swallowed apprehensively. Sesshomaru's hand seemed to brush against his own accidentally as they walked. Or was it an accident? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that anything was a welcome distraction to what was going on inside his head at that moment.

Sunlight bathed the plains below, as well as the people. A large cluster of grand houses sat on the lush terrain, surrounding the centre building that's structure stood tall above all else, a small palace on its own. This town, it put any mortal village to shame, Inuyasha supposed this was what the humans in Kagome's era actually based their designs and technology on. Demons were already a lot further along in healing and other such things, it was places like this that made him wonder how the humans would _ever_ surpass them to dominate the world.

His jaw would have dropped and his eyes would have glinted with that childish spark that always presented itself whenever amazement reached him. However, those stares met him and the others as they strode in through the village boundaries, so all he dared manage was a wandering, wide stare. He fell behind Sesshomaru an inch or so, as if to hide from those looks. He felt Takara drop to his side with Ah-Un, and cleared his throat in an attempt to shift the rising pressure there.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru murmured, and the Half-demon tilted his head to look at his Brother, who kept his eyes fixed on the path ahead. "I would prefer if you remained close by, and within my range of sight, I do not trust all residents of this village." He allowed his gaze to flicker to Inuyasha, who (astonishingly) did not seem offended by the remark, though did not react in any other way to it either.

Through the small space between Sesshomaru and Takara's shoulders, Inuyasha watched two demons approaching, both as different as the sun and moon. They stopped before them, the tallest offering Sesshomaru a deep bow. Harsh silver eyes of the taller demon darted to the Half-demon briefly, before he spoke to Sesshomaru, sweeping the lengthy dark hair from his shoulder.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I am indeed pleased to see you at last. And you have brought Takara, and…" he trailed off, waiting for an introduction. Sesshomaru remained as impassive as ever, stepping aside slightly to permit the Demon to see Inuyasha clearly.  
"This is my mate, Lord Inuyasha. Inuyasha, this is Shigehira, the Master of this village."  
Shigehira inclined his head slightly in a polite nod. As that same senseless courteousness continued to spill forth from this Demon's lips, the Half-demon's gaze fell upon the considerably smaller (and younger) boy at this man's side. Young…too young perhaps. If he were human, the age could not have been more than fourteen…perhaps younger though…

Short violet hair hung gracefully to his shoulders, whilst pensive, crimson eyes stared at the ground, a leather collar around his neck. Inuyasha frowned slightly, those eyes, so sad and so wise to the cruelty of the world for such a young face; like someone had beaten that childish brightness out of them…

He stumbled back to reality as Shigehira ceased speaking, turning his attention to Inuyasha and evidently noting the Half-demon's gaze weighing upon the boy at his side. "Lord Inuyasha, this is my mate, Kazuki."  
Inuyasha blinked.  
"Mate? He's a kid," Inuyasha all-but protested. Kazuki raised those glistening eyes to him, not daring to show any expression. "Is he even old enough to have heats yet?"

Sesshomaru turned his head slightly away from Inuyasha, unable to believe his brother's tactlessness. Shigehira cleared his throat.

"He is young indeed. That is how I prefer my partners. He is experiencing his first heat this season at the moment in fact." At this, Kazuki lowered his eyes to the ground once more, and Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably, regretting causing the kid further discomfort when it was clear he dealt with this man's lechery every day.

_Friggin' pervert,_ Inuyasha growled mentally, it was quite clear this kid had been his mate since before the heat had begun. _This kids way too young to be anyone's mate…_

"Greet our guests, Kazuki," Shigehira barked. Kazuki flinched at his tone as if it where a whip tearing into his flesh, and stepped forward promptly, bowing low, so that the short yukata rode up shamefully.  
"Welcome, Lord Sesshomaru, Lord Inuyasha, and Takara," that whispering, dulcet voice greeted them respectfully.

Inuyasha frowned at the demeaning white cloth this boy called clothing, and at the way he bowed and scraped. It was wrong… Why wasn't Sesshomaru saying something about it? Kazuki straightened up at last, and then Inuyasha realised, it was just as Takara and Ayane and the others had told him before, he was _lucky_ to have someone like Sesshomaru, who didn't gloat over, or abuse his body and soul because he was the uke. Little Kazuki, evidently didn't have that luxury…

"My Lords, please follow me," Shigehira said, gesturing for them to pursue his steps, as he lead them onwards. The Grand house ahead greeted them with its warmth as they stepped through the threshold. Taking a seat in the brightly lit main room, Inuyasha found himself struggling not to permit his gaze to wander to Kazuki too often. The kid sat beside Shigehira, his head hanging low, and from the point where Inuyasha sat between the boy and Sesshomaru, the Half-demon could not help but feel that odd urge to comfort the kid beside him, when misery and loneliness was coming off of him in waves.

"In reference to the Hikireimaru problem, Sire, I am on the boundaries of your kingdom and…well…he has been drifting by here frequently, never causing trouble merely…passing through…" The words that followed drifted away from Inuyasha, he knew all to well what Shigehira had merely called Sesshomaru here to ask for more protection. He could see it in those eerie eyes, the Demon may feel confident in ordering his underage mate around, but he was a coward in every other aspect, a coward that was using Hikireimaru as an excuse to ask for further protection from Sesshomaru against the horrors of the world that were more powerful than him.

Sesshomaru and Takara remained impassive, unyielding to the utter boredom of this Demon trying to convince them of the importance of his village's protection. Apparently this was a highly established demonic village… Inuyasha could care less. Its demon residents didn't make it any more important than the villages inhabited solely by humans. Demon blood, human blood…perhaps it was because he possessed both that he was able to realise, that everyone's life had the same worth, whatever blood ran through their veins…

Turning his head slightly, Inuyasha let his gaze and interest fall upon the boy sitting beside him, with eyes still fixed on his feet, evidently not daring to look up. Whilst the others remained pre-occupied with each other, the Half-demon turned to Kazuki. "That guy really your Mate?" he whispered. The boy lifted his head, staring about him slightly, as if checking to make sure Inuyasha was indeed speaking to him. When he realised it was him he was talking to, he nodded feebly.  
"Yes, Sire," the boy answered humbly. The Half-demon smiled awkwardly.  
"You don't have to be so proper, Kid. My name's Inuyasha. And you're Kazuki, right?" To this, the boy nodded swiftly. "Well if I call you Kazuki, you have to call me Inuyasha."  
Kazuki offered a small smile.  
"Yes, Lord Inuyasha."

The Half-demon sighed, rolling his eyes. "Close enough…" He sat back slightly, adjusting his kimono so that it alleviated the tightness pressing against his stomach, and petted it carefully when the pup nudged him as if in thanks. Inuyasha raised his eyes again just in time to see Kazuki hastily turn his gaze from him, not wishing to be caught staring. Without looking back to him, the boy spoke…

"It's true, Lord Inuyasha you're… I mean… You're pregnant, just like everyone's saying?"  
The Half-demon growled softly under his breath at that.  
"Not everyone, damn it all…"  
The boy's crimson eyes widened.  
"Oh, no Sire, I meant that… Not everyone just Master Shigehira and a few others," the Boy said, evidently lying, though not spitefully so, the same way that his mother and Kagome used to…telling him not everyone was staring at him, or talking about him when they clearly were… This boy…he felt some connection to him…

"Lord Inuyasha?" The Little Demon murmured, for Inuyasha's ears only. The Half-demon looked to him. "I was just wondering…you're pregnant so…that means you…you've rutted, right?"

Inuyasha blinked, flushing slightly. "You don't need me to tell you about sex do you?" he asked anxiously. Kazuki shook his head, his complexion almost as dark with embarrassment as Inuyasha's.  
"No, Lord Inuyasha I merely…that is… I wanted to ask you what it was like."  
The Half-demon frowned, not fully comprehending his words.  
"What _what_ was like?" He asked. Kazuki shifted uncomfortably, looking to Shigehira to ensure he wasn't listening before answering.  
"What's it like…being made love to, as opposed to just being fucked…"

Slightly startled by his words, Inuyasha hid his blush by adjusting his seating position, putting off the time when he'd have to respond with words. The Boy, evidently sensing Inuyasha's confusion as well as his discomfort, spoke again, this time his hushed tones barely audible. He stared as his feet, which pawed at the ground thoughtfully, the surrounding light flickering in glassy orbs.

"I've been Master Shigehira's mate since I was 127 years old…so…it's been twelve years now…"  
Bile rose in the Half-demon's throat.  
"That makes you 139 in human years, right?" Inuyasha growled lowly. Kazuki nodded. The Young Lord sneered. "That filthy bastard took you as a mate 12 years before your first heat? That's disgusting…" He knew that he himself was young to be mated, but at least he had lived through many heat seasons already before this had happened, this kid…he had the body of a child even now, and that evil, twisted creature had… It made him sick to think of it…

Kazuki captured his lip between his fangs, evidently attempting to dissuade the tide of tears desperate to flow from his eyes. "I…I don't… I can't become aroused by a man's touch," he said with no small amount of difficulty, still refusing to look at Inuyasha. "If Master Shigehira wants a reaction from my body, he has to drug me…" At the Half-demon's appalled expression he swiftly continued, his tone still hushed, desperate not to be heard. "It's alright…the drug its…its demeaning, and humiliating, and after a while, when your release is put off for so long it starts to hurt but… It's better than before, when the Master used to beat me for not reacting to him…"

Inuyasha turned away for a moment, gathering himself. How could this kid open up to him? Why would he? Though before the mental question had even had time to assault his mind, he had the answer. This boy, he had been stuck here for 12 years with this man, forced to submit to every twisted order and torture… And by his expression, the only person he'd been able to confide in during that time (before Inuyasha's arrival) was himself… Inuyasha sighed heavily, he knew what it was like to be alone, and even though Kazuki had been surrounded by people, he suspected that _that_ was what he had been all these years, alone…

"Before Lord Sesshomaru, I heard tell of your adventures across Japan with a priestess, and before that even… You loved the Priestess didn't you?" Kazuki asked, his voice unsure. Inuyasha nodded slowly, finding that it was his turn to be unable to meet the other's eyes this time. "And now you're with Lord Sesshomaru…does that mean that… Are you able to get aroused over both boys and girls?"

Inuyasha blinked, blushing his darkest at that incredibly personal question, stunned to the point of speechlessness for that moment. He had to admit (if only to himself) that there were times that he had glanced _'inappropriately'_ over both sexes… He'd even admired Miroku's body (in a friendly way) at the beginning, before he'd really been in love with Kagome.

"Yeah," he murmured at last, his voice dripping with embarrassment, "I guess I like both… But, that doesn't mean everyone does – there's nothing wrong with you just because you don't get off on men touching you. And don't let that stinking ass tell you any different."

Kazuki smiled slightly, seeming awkward at Inuyasha's kindness. Though for the first time since this conversation began their eyes met, and Inuyasha felt an uncomfortable pressure building in his chest that could only be called empathy.

Kazuki swallowed slowly, looking to the place where Inuyasha's hand rested on his stomach, and smiled again. "Is it weird, being pregnant?" he asked. Inuyasha smirked.  
"Keh, sure is. It's not always easy being special you know," he said with mild amusement in his words. "But there are perks to it too, I guess." He didn't know whether Kazuki was aware of his trying to cheer him up, or comfort him, but he couldn't help but attempt to do so all the same. This kid, he deserved some kindness, since he was sure once they left, there wouldn't be any here for him.

"You never answered my question," Kazuki said, tilting his head slightly. "What's it like to be made love to?" That damned blush had returned again, and Inuyasha cursed it mentally.  
"I don't know… Nice, I suppose…" Those wide, almost puppyish eyes were watching him far too closely, evidently waiting for a better answer. Determined to prove that not everyone was like this Shigehira, Inuyasha cleared his throat slightly. "It can be nice, I guess… It kinda…makes your body hot and sorta tingly… And when its over your still sort of warm and…I don't know…" He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, and Kazuki beamed at him. Unfortunately, this unusually natural smile caught Shigehira's attention…

"It seems you have caught Lord Inuyasha's attention, Kazuki."

The Boy was startled from his smile, straightening up before darting to the floor where he knelt, head bowed in forced respect and fear. A smirk twisted Shigehira's wicked mouth. "Good… Thank Lord Inuyasha for noticing you, Kazuki." At this, Inuyasha sneered, and a quiver shot through the Demon boy's skin. "Now, Kazuki."

"Hey!" Inuyasha shouted, leaping to his feet as quickly as his pregnant body would permit. "What's your problem? You've done enough to him, leave the poor kid alone you stinkin' pervert!"  
Shigehira sneered this time.  
"My conduct towards my _'uke'_ is none of your business, Lord Inuyasha. I am aware that Lord Sesshomaru all but worships you but do not misunderstand the _natural_ way of the world… Kazuki is _my_ mate; he serves my body and my will-"  
"-A MATE ISN'T A FUCKING SERVANT!" Inuyasha screamed, Sesshomaru rising to his feet beside him and taking his arm, as if to summon him back to his seat, but Inuyasha ignored him.

"Its bad enough you stripped every ounce of innocence and dignity from him before he'd even reached maturity! But a mate's supposed to take care of the Uke, that's the point! You took the same vows as we did! _'The dominant partner hereby vows to protect his mate and any offspring from all harm, to provide and care for them' _– remember?"  
"Enough Inuyasha!" Sesshomaru interupted, his voice firm. The Half-demon stopped as his brother's hand tightened around his arm. "Please, the Pup has dealt with enough stress these last few days…"  
Inuyasha growled at that, attempting to calm himself down. Though he offered a dangerous glare to Shigehira.  
"People like you have hell waiting for them," Inuyasha threatened. Shigehira smirked at that.  
"With all due respect, Sire, people like me don't die."  
Inuyasha raised a brow.  
"Don't be to sure of that…"

"Forgive me, however you should learn to control your temper, Lord Inuyasha," said Takara, as he stoked the fire in their hut carefully, casting a glance back to Inuyasha who sat on the edge of the largest bed, staring blankly at the floor up until that point.  
"What the hell do you propose I do then?" The Half-demon's face twisted into a sneer. "That Kid doesn't deserve to be tortured and fucked with like that, no kid does! It ain't right… He thinks…he thinks that's the way things are – he thinks that that's all life is! Why am I the only one that thinks it's wrong!"

Takara turned to face him. "You are not the only one that thinks it is wrong, Young Sire," he said softly, but his calmness only angered Inuyasha more.  
"WELL WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE MAN ENOUGH TO WANT TO STOP IT!"  
"Don't shout at Takara, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha inclined his head to look at his brother, who stood against the door-frame, arms crossed over his chest as he stared out of the door across the village as dusk began to descend upon them. "He is right," Sesshomaru continued. "What Shigehira is doing is not right, but we cannot stop every person that does it – there are too many that treat their submissive others in such a way-"  
"So you just give up? You don't even try?" Inuyasha asked, rasping angry growls still sounding clearly in his words. Sesshomaru turned his head to look at him, though did not move otherwise. Their eyes locked for that moment, the Demon Lord's impassiveness only increasing Inuyasha's fury.

"Takara," Sesshomaru said quietly, "Would you go find us some water?"  
The Servant nodded, bowing slightly before departing from the hut, leaving the brothers quite alone. The Older brother approached the Younger slowly, stopping just before him, so that Inuyasha had to look straight up to meet his gaze, as those clawed hands came to rest on his shoulders. Crimson-lidded eyes never left his as claws softly brushed tendrils of silver hair from his face. "You feel some connection to that boy; do you not, Little Brother?"

Inuyasha gnawed his lip, turning his face from Sesshomaru so that he could not see the look in his eyes. Sensing his brother's emotions, the Demon Lord lowered himself to the futon beside him, so that the Half-demon had to look at him.

"The way he looked at me," Inuyasha murmured, still looking into the golden pools of Sesshomaru's eyes. "It was like he was asking me to help him…" He stopped, feeling his brother's hand stray to his stomach, where it stroked him softly.  
"What're you saying, Little Brother?"  
"I'm telling you to help him, Big Brother," he growled softly in his usual gruff tone.

He didn't move, Sesshomaru's lips slid over his own, and he let it happen. His own fingers sifted into silver hair without permission from his body, and his claws scratching the back of Sesshomaru's skull gently so that he felt the Demon Lord all-but purr against his mouth. His Brother drew away from his breathless mouth, growling quietly before pressing his forehead to his own, breathing in deeply.

"I will speak with Shigehira later; you will find I have a way with the people who are terrified of me…"  
Inuyasha smirked at his brother's words, pulling back from him a little, before gathering himself to his feet.  
"Where are you going?" Sesshomaru asked. The Half-demon manoeuvred over to the door, looking back to his Brother as he spoke.  
"To piss, is that okay with you?"  
Sesshomaru looked mildly surprised at the feigned irritancy in the Half-demon's voice, nodding slightly, and Inuyasha walked out the door.

Heading away from the hut where he, Sesshomaru and Takara would be sleeping, Inuyasha petted Ah-Un (who sat close by their door) absently, before searching around for somewhere to relieve his bladder. His exploration soon became the last thing on his mind…

The Grand house of Shigehira stood beside their current overnight residence. He glanced over to the open window, framing the light flickering from within. All-too audible voices came from inside. Inuyasha raised a brow as he approached the room. It was practically asking him to look, the open window a beckoning invitation.

Pressing against the cool wooden structure of the window pane, Inuyasha looked in through the near full-length arch. He realised now that something had indeed called him here, but it hadn't been the open window…

"If you try to sit up it'll only hurt more…" That repugnant voice sent revolting shivers up his spine. The Half-demon watched Kazuki's body try to arch back in pain, arms bound by some form of rope looped between his legs and hooked through the collar around his neck, forcing him to lean forward. Bloody welts cried blood down his back, those perverted, dirty hands of his _'Master'_ twisting around and inside his body.

The Boy cried out. The Demon reached forward for the unresponsive member between the boy's legs, and the adolescent fell silent. "As my Uke, you have no use for a limb that does not respond as I wish. Keep silent or I will tear it off…"

Kazuki whimpered, and fury boiled the observing Half-demon's blood as he heard Shigehira continue. "Beg…"

He could see Kazuki's fangs grating together, and Inuyasha recalled his brother saying that word to him. But never like this, never for this reason. Sesshomaru was a lot of things, but he never treated Inuyasha like this…

"P-Please Master Shigehira…" The Demon boy half-cried, half-screamed. Shigehira released his hold on him, a sick smile befalling his features.  
"Good boy, I will let you keep it, I suppose…" He looked to Kazuki as the boy tipped forward, pressing his head against the cold, hard, unforgiving floor. "What do you say to my generosity?"  
"Thank you, Master Shigehira… You are…always so…kind to me…" The fake gratitude was evident in that frightened voice, and Inuyasha's claws bit into the window-pane as he listened. He was going to be driven to insanity if he didn't do something…

"Continue," Shigehira prompted, and Kazuki wet his lips before continuing, voice shaking and raspy.  
"Thank you for taking me… No one else would do so…"  
"That is correct." The Demon pushed the boy over onto his bloodied back, so that the child cried out in pure, unadulterated agony.

"ENOUGH!" Inuyasha's claws dripped with his own blood where they had dug into his palm, and he dropped from the window into the room. His eyes observed the room's occupants dangerously, with fangs glistening forebodingly in the dim light. "He's a kid…you sick, twisted… The world is full of spiteful bastards like you, that make people like _us_ think life isn't worth living." He lowered himself, snapping the bonds of the boy, startled as Kazuki scrambled backwards against the far wall, watching him with wide, fearful eyes. Inuyasha stood up straight, trying to suppress the fury from his words. "Kazuki, come here." He could hear Sesshomaru in his own voice, but that didn't matter. Not right now. Perhaps it was a good thing. The boy didn't move though. "Kazuki," he said firmly. The boy tilted his head slightly, before moving forwards, though no sooner than he budged, Shigehira leapt forwards, claws bared.

Kazuki screamed, flinching. Inuyasha darted forwards, bloody claws tearing through the air and slicing into the arm that had reached for the now quivering child. Shigehira winced, crying out to the darkness as the Half-demon raked razor-fingertips through his flesh. Drawing back just as the Demon lunged, Inuyasha avoided the next, blow, poorly aimed from Shigehira's pain-induced stupor. Seizing the candle from the side Inuyasha tossed it towards him, scalding wax splattering across the Demon's face. Shigehira's offending hands now clasped and clawed at his own face. Inuyasha shot forwards, slamming him into the wall so that he drew another agonised cry from him, and a satisfied smirk twisted his own lips.

"How many times did you take pleasure in making him cry out over the years?" Inuyasha snarled, pulling him forwards only to slam his head back against the wood-panelling again. "Should I make you beg too? Should I tear off one of _your_ limbs?"

The Half-demon stepped back, releasing his hold on the Demon that now shuddered to the ground, whilst staring up at him with terror in his eyes. Tetsusaiga sang as it was withdrawn from the sheath at Inuyasha's side, and as he held it the minute light danced along every edge. He considered the blade for a moment. "Kazuki, stand up."  
The boy leapt to his feet, staring warily at him, tears cascading over his cheeks from the pain in his back. Inuyasha looked to Shigehira once more. "Beg him…" he growled. The Demon blinked as Tetsusaiga loomed over him, an ever-present threat. "Beg Kazuki for forgiveness or I'll cut off all YOUR useless limbs."

Almost immediately the pitiful demon crawled to Kazuki's feet, head bowed low. "F-Forgive me, Kazuki… I am sorry…"  
"Louder."  
"PLEASE FORGIVE ME!"

Inuyasha smirked, moving towards Kazuki, carelessly kicking Shigehira aside. He considered the silently crying boy carefully, and snatching the sheet from the bed, he wrapped it around the child's bleeding, naked body. The Young Demon's eyes avoided Inuyasha's, though the shame was evident in them.

Inuyasha set aside his own awkwardness, and laid a gentle hand on Kazuki's shoulder, trying to ignore the way he flinched. "Kazuki, do you want to come with me?" he asked softly. The boy looked up at him, glassy eyes evidently not understanding. "We can take you away from here. You won't have to do these disgusting things anymore. I…." He paused, fighting the light blush dusting his cheeks. "I'll protect you…"

Kazuki was still for a moment. Large, crimson eyes watched Inuyasha as if he were both God and the Devil in the same instant. Slowly, a shaking hand rose to his own throat, claws biting into the leather collar, before tearing it away from his neck. The remaining, broken shreds tumbled limply to the ground. A small sob sounded from the back of his throat, and he pawed at his eyes defiantly, before falling into Inuyasha's chest.

If the occasion weren't so solemn, Inuyasha would have pushed the boy away in embarrassment. But he couldn't do it now. Not when comparably small fingers clung to him and tears leaked through his kimono onto his skin. He toughened his resolve, leaving a still cowering Shigehira on the cold floor, and lead the small Demon from the room.

It took Sesshomaru a moment to react at all to the news that Inuyasha was bringing a demon boy home with them. At first he'd said nothing while Takara smiled, and then, he merely nodded slowly. "You are welcome, Kazuki." The Child had bowed low to the Demon Lord's chivalry, which angered the wounds stills adorning his back. Though of course, with Takara present, they did not trouble him for much longer.

Now all that remained were faint scars and bruising, as the boy lay curled up where he had fallen asleep on the end of one of the futons. Inuyasha's gaze wandered to him briefly, and he dropped a nearby blanket over him to both keep him warm and to preserve what little dignity the boy still possessed. "I guess he'll have to stay in here with us three tonight," Inuyasha murmured, Sesshomaru watching him from where he sat on their futon.  
"Indeed. We are moving on in the morning in any case, and though I do not think Shigehira will be foolish enough to try and stop us, he may harm the boy if we allow him out of our sight while we remain here."

Takara had disappeared from the hut in search of some suitable clothes for Kazuki to wear until they got back to the castle, where Ayane could make some for him. This left the sleeping Kazuki alone with the siblings. Inuyasha approached his brother on the bed, and dropped down on it unceremoniously, a deep sigh fluttering past his lips. Those familiar fingers brushed away his rebellious bangs once more, and he stared up to find Sesshomaru's eyes watching him thoughtfully. "You are of course aware that by taking Kazuki into your care, he is your ward."  
Inuyasha smirked, laughing quietly.  
"Great, he's my _'Rin'_…"  
Sesshomaru tried not to look amused by this statement, though could not help the small smile tweaking at the corners of his mouth.

Suddenly Inuyasha leapt up, the abrupt pressure in his bladder reminding him painfully that he had never actually relieved it the first time round. He darted towards the door. "Inuyasha." The Voice was calm, though different somehow, and Inuyasha turned to face his brother at the sound of it. A startlingly odd look flickered in those eyes, which regarded him with a glistening softness. "I wish to divulge something to you-"  
"-I really need to go," Inuyasha interrupted, shifting uncomfortably, "I never went the first time. Can you tell me in like – two seconds?" he asked with desperateness in his voice. Sesshomaru smiled, an odd, tender sort of expression that accompanied his longing gaze, and it looked strange. But the Demon Lord nodded, and Inuyasha darted from the doorway, to relieve himself in the bushes behind the hut.

A heavy sigh drifted past his lips, not for the first time that evening. And once finished, he turned to head back to the hut, only to pause; considering what had just happened in his mind. That look on Sesshomaru's face…it was…so strange. Though not necessarily in a bad way. He'd seen that look in his eyes before, had sworn it was something else those times, but now…

Inuyasha lifted his gaze to the dark, star-covered sky overhead that was just visible through the overhanging trees. He could have sworn, that at that moment, Sesshomaru…Sesshomaru was going to tell him that he loved him…

"Good evening, Inuyasha…"

Golden eyes widened. Inuyasha turned slowly, cautiously, not really wanting to see the owner of that voice. But from the darkness that obsidian shadow came forth . Ebony hair slid back, cascading off dark shoulders, as Hikireimaru's pale face caught the moonlight. "I told you I'd come back for you."  
"I'm tired," Inuyasha growled angrily, "get out of my way." He moved to pass Hikireimaru to return to the hut, but the Demon stepped into his path. Inuyasha sighed, yet again, drawing Tetsusaiga from its sheath. "Fine, you want a fight, I'll give you one…"  
Hikireimaru raised an amused brow.  
"In your condition, not very motherly-"  
"-Shut up!"

The Half-demon surged forwards, the blade soaring through the air – missing. It struck the nearby tree, losing it transformation, and wouldn't budge. Inuyasha's eyes widened. He pulled, but no use, it wouldn't come loose. He could beat Hikireimaru without his sword, but he couldn't guarantee his demon blood would not assume his life (and the life of his pup) was in danger, and take over… And then he didn't know what the demon would do, to Hikireimaru, Sesshomaru, Kazuki, the villagers… He needed the Tetsusaiga.

A harsh, sharp collision against his sword arm knocked him aside, and he skidded to a halt, facing Hikireimaru once more, fangs bared. He flew forwards, claws tearing through air and into Hikireimaru's shoulder. The Demon didn't even wince. Inuyasha's eyes widened. Hikireimaru's fingers enclosed around the wrist of the claws embedded into his flesh, prying his claws from him, and not releasing the Half-demon's arm. That foreboding smile graced the Obsidian-haired-Demon's features. "Call for help, Little one. Call for Sesshomaru, he will not come. You are expendable to him in any case. You know what they say, one's the heir, the other's to spare…"

A sneer worked its way to the Half-demon's face and he snarled. His taunts wouldn't succeed in their intent, he knew they weren't true, not to Sesshomaru any way, but they were annoying.

"GET OFF ME!" Inuyasha pressed his captured arm forward, fingers trembling with the effort. His claws scrambled to tear at Hikireimaru's throat. They broke free, descending upon that flesh. They stopped. Inuyasha's whole body froze at the pressure on that all-too vulnerable part of him; Hikireimaru's own claws loomed over his stomach, grazing over the flesh menacingly. It was just as before, this Demon, he could end it all with one swipe of his claws if he wanted to, and Inuyasha wouldn't be able to do a thing. The Half-demon's offending hand lowered to his side, and his head bowed forwards to hide the defeat within them.

That smirk had returned to Hikireimaru's lips, Inuyasha didn't have to see it to know it was there. That hand now stroked his stomach in mock affection, and he struggled to fight his body's impulse to recoil from the touch. "So afraid of losing this life, and your own…" Hikireimaru practically purred, hot breath causing a misty fog to brush against the Half-demon's cheeks as the cold night surrounded them.

"…Too afraid to die, just like the child you are. There is no man in you at all; Sesshomaru took the man in you away." He punctuated the point with a sharp blow. Inuyasha winced as the Demon's fist collided with his head. He didn't have time to lunge, or scream, or call out as the darkness descended upon his vision. The world blurred and spun at once, pain throbbing dully in his head as he tumbled forwards, into the unwanted warmth of Hikireimaru's embrace.

~To Be Continued...

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A/N: 0_0 Please with-hold all death threats, rotten fruits and other violent acts lol. Okay sorry for the meanest, most horrible cliffie I have ever given you guys *Cries and begs for forgiveness* But despite that hope you liked and will continue reading ^_^ Also hope you liked little Kazuki. He's going to be in it from now on to give the boys a little push in his own special way, plus a few other special things I have planned for him, eheheh... Neways, I drew a picture of him, please take a look, here's the link (without the spaces):  
htt p:/ / hyperlittlenori . deviantart . com/art/WTMFR-Kazuki-My-Character-76168278

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	24. Bleeding Night

Author's Note:  
Ah, well firstly I can expect ALOT of negative feedback from this chapter, but i want you to first consider holding back on the nastiness, since everything in my fic (as in life) leads to somethin else, and I know that you all at least mildly like this story or else why would you be reading it? So Please keep the nastiness and flames to a minimum. This chapter has been coming for a while, (I actually toned it down a bit from my original plans) and I never intended to make it nice, please appreciate it if nothing else.

**WARNING! This chapter contains N/C - (Non consensual) events including rape, humiliation and abuse. **

**Also important: **for the benefit of this site and its readers only, I edited as much as I could but I do not see how i can edit it anymore without taking important parts that you have to know away from the chapter. But let me know if you think it's really too bad still and I will take more out.

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**Chapter Twenty-Four  
_Bleeding Night_**

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Dark lashes fluttered and the hazy world returned to light. The spiralling abyss of unconsciousness that was the source of the Half-demon's dizziness subsided, and he winced, clutching the back of his aching skull as he struggled to sit up.

Glancing around, Inuyasha regarded his prison with trepidation. Wide golden eyes studied the cold, smooth stone of his surroundings. He struggled to regain his breath as he stared at the four eloquently decorated walls - his only source of light a barred window beyond even _his_ reach. Those dark walls though dressed with elegant crimson sashes felt like they were closing in, crushing the air from his lungs. He hated being shut in – hated being trapped anywhere, especially a place where he couldn't feel the grass beneath his feet, where he couldn't smell, nor _see_ any sign of life.

Struggling to his feet, Inuyasha approached the only door, but one look told him there was no way of getting through it – there wasn't a handle on the inside. Suddenly a sharp pain tore through him, and his hand crashed against the locked door to steady him, whilst the other ghosted over his stomach to soothe the unborn creature within.

_What's the matter?_ He thought, his breath escaping his lungs in frenzied pants. _What's happening?_

The panic rose up in him and he instinctually reached for Tetsusaiga. Golden eyes widened as his fingers clenched around thin air. A distorted recollection flashed across his vision, a memory of surging forwards, the blade soaring through the air – missing. It had struck the nearby tree; losing its transformation… it was still there, his Father's sword was still in that tree!

Suddenly his source of support shifted. The once-locked door flew open and Inuyasha stumbled backwards. The grand futon knocked his knees out from under him so that he fell backwards onto it, catching him before he tumbled to the ground. The door closed behind the shadowed figure that ushered into the room. Inuyasha eyed the exit carefully, as if plotting his escape, though a slow pass of Hikireimaru's hand offered him an answer to his unasked question – he would never get to the door before the Demon stopped him, not with his current ability of speed in any case.

An almost cruel smile graced those dauntingly handsome features of the Demon as he approached. Stopping at the end of the bed, he dropped fluidly onto his knees and knelt over a startled Inuyasha's body. The Half-demon flinched, claws darting forwards.  
"Did you have pleasant dreams, Little one?" Hikireimaru cooed, ensnaring those wrists roughly mid-strike. Inuyasha snarled in return.  
"You bastard… When I get my hands on you I'll-"  
"-What do you think of your chambers, Inuyasha?" Receiving only a feral growl in response, Hikireimaru continued. "I had them prepared especially to meet your…_requirements_…"

The Half-demon offered a final scream before throwing the Demon off his body and scrambled backwards up the bed. "You mean YOUR requirements!" He cried in indignation. "Whatever you've done to this stinkin' hole it's still a prison! You can trap me here, you can do whatever you want but I'm not lying down like a dutiful bitch and letting you do what you want with me!" Darting forwards off the bed, Inuyasha's fist collided with the side of Hikireimaru's jaw, knocking him back down the moment he had reached his feet.

Pain ripped through his body and his limbs screamed in agony as his flexed claws tore into the Demon's flesh, tearing bloody ribbons from that exposed chest. That smile failed to fall from Hikireimaru's lips, a small, dark laugh emanating from him as he prised those claws from his body. Inuyasha's eyes widened.

"Silly little Half-demon," Hikireimaru murmured, leaning forward to risk a swift lick over Inuyasha's cheek - making him growl furiously. The Demon gestured to the lingering four gashes across his own face, where Inuyasha had scratched him earlier before passing into unconsciousness. "I have learnt not to permit pain to affect my body as it does yours. I note your posture is pained, would you care to lie down?"  
"Like hell I do!" Inuyasha sneered, struggling to break free though failing. "I'd rather stand until I drop than lie on my back for you!"  
That sick smile was there again, and it made him swallow nervously.  
"Splendid," Hikireimaru murmured, "That was the exact answer I was hoping for..."

Those spiteful bonds were all that now held him in his standing position, with his head hanging limply, silver tresses falling into his eyes and hiding the grimace that betrayed his body's agony. That sharp pain still pressed with cruel pressure into his back and stomach. That telltale soreness (that he only had this unborn pup to blame) enflamed his usual body parts, with his last use of Takara's serum long having worn off. And he wanted to cry out - he wanted to scream, but he was kept from even that small comfort by his diminishing pride.

Hikireimaru's claws tore through the silk of his clothing like a knife through butter, and the shreds hung limply from his form. Inuyasha's body tensed under that stare, trying to recoil into itself. He winced in mortification as those fingertips traced each one of the blemishes marking his stretched skin, he couldn't meet this creature's eyes as it looked upon him. He didn't want to look at anything…

"So many insecurities…" the Demon murmured, "so many doubts as to why Lord Sesshomaru, or anyone else for that matter, would desire this far from immaculate flesh."  
Inuyasha cringed at that, thighs tensing, rubbing together slightly in an attempt to alleviate the growing pressure in his bladder - the pup's constant moves to escape Hikireimaru's touch not helping any. His teeth ground together in determination.

Those touches moved thoughtfully over his stomach a few more times, before they skittered over a rosy nub and Inuyasha hissed lowly in pain. "I see this place in sensitive to touch," Hikireimaru murmured, dipping his head to regard the enflamed flesh. "Such a pretty red colour…"

The Half-demon tipped his head back, fangs gnashing together to withhold a whimper at the stinging pain. Sesshomaru had learned of the places that were sore rather swiftly, and (admittedly) had made sure Takara had some of that salve on hand for whenever their miracle effects faded away. Now, however, there was no Sesshomaru, or Takara, or relief of the pain… There was no escape…

Inuyasha's fingers enclosed around the chain suspended from somewhere above, lifting his body from the ground before kicking Hikireimaru roughly in the stomach, sending him stumbling backwards. The Half-demon's body slumped against their bonds in breathless exhaustion from such a comparably small manoeuvre, and ge struggled to turn his attention to _anything_ but how badly he needed to '_go_'…

"It is senseless to fight, Inuyasha," The Dark-haired-demon murmured, approaching him once more. "You don't have the strength to resist, not in your current condition in any case…" Pressing himself to Inuyasha's body he dragged a claw down his stomach, drawing a tear of blood from the shallow wound. Inuyasha growled menacingly.  
"If you hurt this pup I'll fucking kill you…"

Hikireimaru smirked. His finger smoothed the blood onto it before he brought it to his mouth, licking the crimson fluid from it leisurely. Inuyasha knew if something happened to him, or the pup, to the point where either were in danger, then his demon would take over, and whilst that would get him out of this situation, without the Tetsusaiga or Kagome to call him back, he didn't know if he'd ever return…

"So long as you behave I will not hurt it," Hikireimaru purred, "I have no desire to kill either of you. I told you, I will take care of you both…" He watched with mild amusement as Inuyasha struggled to kick him away again. Deftly seizing the struggling limbs he forced them down once more, the claw of his thumb carelessly biting into the inner-thigh. Inuyasha cried out that time, and Hikireimaru's smirk broadened as he dropped to his knees fluidly.  
"How is locking me up and torturing me _looking after me_?" The Half-demon screamed again as Hikireimaru's tongue danced along the wound on his thigh, lapping up the blood before pressing the tip of his tongue into it spitefully. "Bastard!"

Drawing back from the wound but not from his position, Hikireimaru stared up at him with forebodingly lustful eyes. "This prison, (just like the chains) is merely in place until you have given me sufficient chance to show you…"  
"Show me?" Inuyasha growled out, frowning in confusion. That cruel smile lined the Demon's lips once more.  
"I told you, you have had the taster for life with Lord Sesshomaru, now is your chance to see what I can offer." He paused for a moment, considering the Half-demon's twitching legs thoughtfully (though thankfully, Inuyasha didn't think he'd realised the reason as to the tension in his limbs). "And as for the '_torture_', it is merely a sexual preference. There are many who share it…"  
Inuyasha sneered.  
"Well I ain't one of them!" the Half-demon shouted, the action making Hikireimaru smile devilishly.  
"How will you know if you never try it?" With those words long fingers encircled his limp member, stroking it roughly. "I will teach this body how to derive pleasure from pain…"

Inuyasha tried not to move, tried to focus on something on the opposite wall - _anything_ to distract him from the imminent explosion of his bladder. He tipped his head back, trying to ignore the rough jerks that were sending his hips into irrepressible spasms. It was then that his thighs tensed together swiftly, and a look of realisation dawned on the Demon's features, followed swiftly by that wicked upturned smile.  
"I see," Hikireimaru growled softly, continuing his movements whilst the other hand stole onto that swollen stomach, provoking the pup into movement.  
"STOP IT!"  
"You need to go?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Inuyasha's hands gripped the chains once more in an attempt to struggle free, his legs trying to knock Hikireimaru away, though failing.

"Tell me, Inuyasha… Did you never ask Lord Sesshomaru about the Half-demons?" Though Inuyasha didn't respond, he knew that he had heard. "I slaughter your kind – and not without reason, but your '_Dear brother_', he takes and kills as he pleases-"  
"-You're lying! GET OFF ME!"

Hikireimaru shot up, backhanding the Half-demon roughly across the face, and stunning him to silence, as his free hand tortured that member once more. "He took you, didn't he? Denial is a sad thing, Little one. Your brother is a murderer…"

Inuyasha winced, body shuddering under the strain. His toes pawed at the ground uselessly as his hips tried to draw back away from Hikireimaru's touch. The Demon's other hand reached around to press against his lower back, so he could no longer escape. "He…He's different now-" He was cut off again as Hikireimaru dived forwards to catch his lips, only managing to turn away at the last moment, that mouth crashing against his cheek. Smirking, Hikireimaru permitted his hot breath to steam over a nervous dog ear.  
"How incredibly wrong you are, Little Half-demon," he murmured, before capturing the retreating ear between his fangs, biting down.

Inuyasha screamed, his face twisting in agony as his voice ricocheted from the walls, and his claws scraped against the metal bonds in an attempt to alleviate the piercing pain on something. A crimson river flowed from the bite as the Dark-haired-demon drew back, watching the blood stain silver locks, and trickle down the boy's face. But those furious, defiantly glassy eyes that watched him refused to cry.

"I told you, pleasure can be gained from pain, should you look in the right place…"  
"You're sick…" the Half-demon growled. "What you do, this isn't making me choose you… Sesshomaru may be a bastard but he doesn't… He never tortures people like this!" He winced again as Hikireimaru answered his words by squeezing him hard. He really needed to relieve himself…

"Your Brother is a murderer. I have lingered in this time, on this plain and I have seen many things. Your brother wreaked bloody violence upon any half-demon that crossed his path after your father died. Or has no one ever told you?" He watched Inuyasha's eyes widen. "Evidently those frivolous servants Takara and the others did not see fit to shatter the image of their beloved Lord, and tell you of Lord Sesshomaru's selfish fit of rage…"

It happened then, the pup offered him a final kick, and he felt his bladder groan under the pressure. A few feeble drops wept from the tip and he grated his fangs together, closing his eyes against the world as the humiliation burst from him like the inevitable tide that escaped him. He could have sworn he heard himself screaming obscenities to Hikireimaru, but he could not be sure, all he knew for sure was that those fingers remained on him as the pressure in his bladder spilt out into the suddenly very cold room. It kept coming, as if to prolong the suffering - urine running down his legs to pool at the floor.

His head hung low. He didn't move. Hikireimaru's free hand hovered close to his face a moment before smacking him across the face. "Look at me…" he growled huskily, the disgusting degradation against the Half-demon's body having evidently aroused him. But Inuyasha didn't look up. "I said look at me!" The second blow freed him from his chains, causing his broken body to drop limply to the floor, and the Half-demon fell onto his hands and knees in his own urine.

He kept his head down. He could feel that crimson gaze weighing upon him, could even feel him drop to his side. Hikireimaru knelt at his level, grasping a handful of silver hair with his soiled hand. He smirked as he ran his fingers through the blood and urine-stained tresses. He let the hair fall from his grasp to the damp floor below, noting that Inuyasha still didn't move, and that the only sound from the boy were irregular breaths that ushered past those lips in laboured pants.

When several moments passed and he still received no response, the Demon took hold of the Inuyasha'ss hair once more. "Now look," he purred, stroking the still bleeding ear with his other hand, just to watch Inuyasha flinch. "Your hair is ruined…soaked with blood and your own waste, how degrading…" He leant forwards, pressing his lips to Inuyasha's cheek, and the Half-demon again, did not respond, he wouldn't give this revolting creature the satisfaction.

"Is it not delicious being this sordid – this immoral, Inuyasha? You will come to crave it, just as I did, I assure you…" He regarded the Half-demon's hair again when he still didn't answer. "Such a mess though, it will never come clean…" Suddenly his hand free of Inuyasha's hair dived forwards, seizing the boy around the throat and lifting his head up so that Inuyasha had to meet his eyes. Such pitiable defeat flickered in those eyes, and Hikireimaru relished it. "It will have to come off…"

"NO!" Inuyasha's eyes widened then, making a turn to shove the Demon away from him, his temper flaring back to life as did the light in his eyes. Those claws rose, descending upon him, slicing through stained silver locks at the base of his neck, and severing them from his head. Hikireimaru stood over him, relishing in his agony, allowing a silver flood of hair to tumble slowly from his grasp, dropping before Inuyasha's very eyes. When Inuyasha saw his last shred of splendour cut away from him, fury burned in his chest, as if his boiling blood were lava.

The white-hot rage tore through him and he scrambled to his feet, charging forwards,with claws dragging through the streams of his own blood. "BLADES OF BLOOD!" He screamed, fangs bared in a demonic smile as he watched his attack slice into Hikireimaru's chest. He threw himself forwards, claws tearing through the Demon's arm, a revolting satisfaction reaching him as he (at last) saw the beast flinch.

Hikireimaru pulled back, supporting his wounded arm as he regarded the Half-demon with an odd smile. "My body does not know hurt. It has been instructed in ways you can not even imagine…" He shot towards him, capturing his wrists once more and binding them once more to the shackles he had only just released him from, so that Inuyasha had to listen to him instead of senselessly attacking in a blind rage. "Imagine if you will, a time five decades ago, where I was no more than a mediocre demon, content with the slaughter of many. Imagine finding that someone…your destined, your _soul mate_," he murmured against his skin, circling around him continuously as he spoke, clawed fingers never abandoning the Half-demon's stomach. "Imagine searching your whole life for a reason to live, and finding that reason was a pariah…a mark upon the demon world – a Half-demon."

Those words flooded his mind at that moment, eradicating all other thought. So this was it? Hikireimaru had loved a Half-demon?

"Imagine, _Lord Inuyasha…_ Imagine falling for them, despite everything – abandoning your family and everything you knew for that one person… Only to have them torn away." He stopped circling him then, pausing before Inuyasha so that he was in no doubt of the anger in his eyes. "Your brother killed him!"  
Inuyasha's eyes widened as Hikireimaru dropped to the bed momentarily, tearing a shred of material from the sheets and tying it around the Half-demon's eyes as a make-shift blindfold.

Inuyasha felt the panic rise up in him. His head tilted towards the sounds of Hikireimaru's movements. Suddenly pain tore through his chest as four sharp blades (unmistakably Hikireimaru's claws) raked down his front. He screamed. He felt the blood run down his already soiled body, the fresh pain stung as the cold air caressed it, just as a suspicious warmth encircled his length. Inuyasha's boy tensed, suddenly very still, not willing to give any reason for this monster to damage _that_ part of himself.

Those claws returned, scratching spitefully into his stomach once more, just enough to draw blood, and Inuyasha screamed again, blood trailing down to meet Hikireimaru's mouth. "S-Stop! The pup is…" he drew off, disgust and humiliation storming in his mind whilst a mixture of pain and unwanted pleasure shook his wounded body.

"Enjoying yourself at last, Little one…?" He trailed off when Inuyasha shook his head. The Demon descended then, wrapping some unnamed object that he was blind to (as well as everything else) around his pained erection in tight coils. He ground his teeth again when the pain of his prevented release built up, until the Demon rose, raking his claws up the boy's back as he got to his feet.

Inuyasha's mouth opened and closed soundlessly in an attempt of an agonised cry, and Hikireimaru's fingers clasped around his throat, choking the life from him. "Imagine spending years…centuries struggling to ride the waves of time and manipulate them, all in order to find him spirit again – in any body."

Inuyasha winced, struggling for air, feeling those claws biting into his flesh. He needed to get Hikireimaru off of him!

"You can't even begin to understand what it's like, finally reaching the time when this spirit was alive again, only to find it impossible to reach."  
Inuyasha struggled to gain breath. He didn't understand. His senses were spiralling out of control from the lack of air, and mind still reeling from all this knowledge. Hikireimaru, he could travel through time?

_Just like…Kagome…_

Suddenly a hazy whiteness assaulted his vision. He knew this feeling. He felt the life being choked from him. He felt his demon taking over. His mouth opened in a soundless scream. His fangs stretched and crests crept across his blemished cheeks before his already obscured vision finally bled into red.

A demonic snarl startled Hikireimaru just enough for him to loosen his hold on the now _full_-demon, and Inuyasha seized his chains, swinging back on them before flying forwards again, sending Hikireimaru hurtling across the room.

Hikireimaru struggled to his feet, spitting the blood that had gathered in his mouth on the ground, before turning his eyes to Inuyasha once more, evidently confused as to what had happened. He watched the wildly thrashing body writhing like a fish on a hook, desperate to reach him in feral fury. Inuyasha was…a demon?

"Master Hikireimaru?" The Dark-haired-demon turned, growling softly under his breath in irritation at seeing one of his followers framed in the doorway. "Trouble at the gates, Master."  
Hikireimaru sneered, regaining his posture and approaching the doorway.  
"Wait here, Inuyasha," he mocked, the snarling creature that seemed beyond all reason struggling to get free, like an animal caught in wire, with the chains biting into his wrists with each movement. "Do not go anywhere." The door slammed shut, the bolt thrown across, and the demons' footsteps died away.

The Demon fought against the blood and the ever-enclosing prison - the soul of Inuyasha despairing as he felt the passage of time draw forwards, each moment his entire body begging to be allowed down, and to shrivel up and die, if only to escape this pain. His stomach felt so heavy, and hot tears streaked down his cheeks shamefully at feeling the agony of his pup's pain in his head. And those suspicious cramps, they still plagued his lower body, even through the pain of everything else. In his current condition, even his Demon was reduced to a sullen whelp.

If his Demon was his base instincts, as a pregnant dog-demon, his job was to keep quiet, to shrink into the background if only to keep attention away from his vulnerable body. And so his Demon's aggression faded, harsh panting breaths coming out as a misty fog in the now freezing room.

Eyes could not see, and he felt nauseous. He felt bile creeping up his throat in the place of saliva, and strained to fight it back. Inuyasha's rational thought lingered in the background of the mind of the once feral creature. He felt the blackness calling him, but he couldn't let go. If it were any other time he would have fallen slack under the mercy of his bonds but…if he gave up his pup would suffer too, and he wouldn't allow that. Even if he died, this pup would live it had to…

His erection twitched, bloody, sore, and painful under the need for release (even if the arousal had been forced) whilst his legs ached, and wrists stung as the chains bit viciously into once unmarred skin. His Demon held no regard for pain, but his all-too aware mind did. This wasn't how it worked; he wasn't supposed to be this conscious of his demon's actions. With so many repeated transformations they were becoming more and more unpredictable. Throughout the innumerable questions the pain assaulted his form, blood weeping from the fresh wounds. Pain, he'd tasted pain before, but never so much, never all over and never for as long as this…

His body wasn't healing properly. Even when he was asleep his body was working away to create and maintain the unborn life within his abused stomach, as well as offer his full-demon pup energy from his Half-demon body, which left so very little power left to heal even his own wounds. The source of the majority of his agony remained the tight coils wrapped around his genitals, forcing back his compulsory climax, which did little to ease the cramps that had yet to disappear. And he was left with this, alone, in pain, all-but wishing for death.

Thankfully his demon had long-since abandoned wrenching his body to try and get free. But still, every movement caused the bindings to cut into him, his blood adding to the myriad of scents that only served to make him feel more queasy - the unbearable smell of his own urine and the hurt not helping his sickness any. He would die, he was sure, and once this pup was safe back with Sesshomaru he would beg to be relieved of this life, and this humiliation, of that he was also certain.

SLAM! Suddenly the sounds of the door being flung open entered his ears, causing them to flick back nervously. A struggle, a body being thrown to the floor, and then footsteps halting not far from his side. Amongst the repulsive smells around him he could not decipher who it was, (he did not possess enough control over his body to do so) but he could feel someone approaching, and his body tensed painfully in apprehension of his Hikireimaru's return.

_Please_, he silently begged, his gaping mouth unable to do so thanks to his demon's control of his body, _please no more…_

"It is alright, Inuyasha…"

Ears flickered again, though this time with hope, he recognised that voice… Or did he? He'd dealt with demons that could morph into the one he wanted to see before, was this another of those times? Clawed fingers brushed over his cheeks and the once Half-demon flinched.  
"Don't…" He murmured, the husky coarseness that accompanied fully demonic blood taking over his words, "No more… I can't take it…"

There was no response, but those claws were still near his head, slicing through the blindfold, which fell uselessly from his eyes. The now crimson orbs blinked as they regained focus on the room, and demon tears brewed shamefully once more, as he saw who stood before him. "S-Sesshomaru…?"  
"It is alright, do not move, I will get you down-"  
"-No! It's not – It's a lie!" The full-demon Inuyasha screamed, his agonised body writhing, struggling to tear himself from his bonds to rip, to kill, to shred the Demon Lord to pieces.

"Think," The Silver-haired demon said, grazing his cheek lightly with the backs of his claws, "you can feel my emotions… you know it is me."

Inuyasha stared at him, rasping breath grating against his throat. He took a cautionary sniff, before shaking his head slightly so that what remained of his now shoulder-length hair tickled his mark slightly, and watched Sesshomaru shudder involuntarily. The demon in his eyes receded away slightly, though barely, the '_real_' Inuyasha could still feel the disorientating hum of the creature lingering in the forefront of his mind, but at least he held the majority of control over his body again.

Through his own unbearable agony there was Sesshomaru's. The Lord's shock, fury, and relief overwhelming his weak half-demon body as those fingers (he now knew to be his mate's) caressed the short silver hair that hung about his face haphazardly.  
"Sesshomaru, I-"  
"-Not now," The Demon Lord hushed him, manoeuvring round him, with fangs grating angrily against each other as he studied his mate's body. But time was running out, and while he did not think he would lose to anyone, it would take time to kill Hikireimaru, and time was against Inuyasha and his pup. They needed to get out.

Sesshomaru tugged the chains slightly, causing the floor to become reachable for the Half-demon's feet that had been previously suspended a few inches from the ground. Relief washed over the boy's lower limbs as his legs fumbled to find the floor. His toes gripped the ground as he felt the blood rush back through them, uncomfortable sensations coursing through him as a result, making his limbs trembling uselessly. He knew he wouldn't be able to stand if he tried…

"Is the pup alright?" Sesshomaru asked, reaching to touch his mate's stomach, and staring at him in confusion when Inuyasha wrenched his body away as best he could with his arms still bound.  
"Don't touch me…"  
"Is the pup alright?" The Demon Lord repeated, ignoring his brother's outburst. The Half-demon still not in full control of his body, found himself nodding without really meaning to.  
"It's alive…" His Demon murmured huskily, that foreboding crimson creeping back into his vision, and his skin tingling ominously in response, "its okay…" He felt Sesshomaru's relief assault his mind, and cringed at his pathetic body and the way his '_demon_' was so desperate to be in Sesshomaru's embrace.

"You are nearly free," the Older Brother said, moving round to Inuyasha's front once more, as he sliced through the chains binding his arms, and Inuyasha struggled to steady himself on his numb legs. The effort failed, and he fell forwards into Sesshomaru's embrace. Gripping his mate's chest with numb fingers, he lifted his head weakly so that he could look at him.

"H-Hurts…" He growled out through clenched teeth, free hand clasping his stomach with his demon side still struggling for dominance. Sesshomaru frowned, staring at his sibling, confused as to what to say. Slender fingers ran through short hair, the knowledge that it would grow back in a day or so not soothing his fury at its absence in any way. His gaze caught sight of the discarded soiled tresses on the floor behind them, and his lips unturned in a sneer. He would kill Hikireimaru, no; death was not punishment enough, a slow and bloody torture, that sounded more suitable…

Sesshomaru's hand slid down to the small of his brother's back, pressing that form to him regardless of the crimson blood and other unwanted bodily fluids that now stained him as well. The demon Inuyasha emitted a low, rumbling growl as his eyes slid closed, "Safe…" he murmured before falling limp in Sesshomaru's arms.

How dare the sun shine so brightly when everything felt so…dark? Inuyasha was curled against his chest like a child, as he carried him in his arms through the forest he remembered so clearly. The demon stripes had yet to dissipate, which meant neither had his transformation, and _that_ was bad. He needed to change him back – for good.

He couldn't help but allow his gaze to flicker back to his brother, still bloodied and broken, his short hair unclean and clinging to his skin with the blood that soaked it. The only thing left preserving the shattered shards of Inuyasha's dignity was the Demon Lord's kimono that he'd been wrapped in. Sesshomaru didn't have time to clean him, not until he was Inuyasha again. Dirty was better than dead, and if he lost his brother to his all-too potent demonic side, that was basically what he would be – just a shell. That demon that looked upon him with crimson eyes, full of lust and obedience, so willing to please him, so honest… That Demon held the qualities every dominant mate desired, but if it wasn't '_Inuyasha_' – the one he'd come to know so well over the last few months, the one he woke up to every morning, the one he both argued and made-up with everyday…was it what _he_ wanted?

"Welcome, Sesshomaru."

The Demon Lord paused at that voice, staring impassively to the aged tree that still stood strongly before him – watching him with knowing eyes. "Bokusen-oh," he acknowledged, bowing his head slightly, before continuing. "Forgive me for having no time to spare for formalities – this is Inuyasha." He could see Bokusen-oh surveying the limp body carefully, slowly drawing his conclusions. "Tetsusaiga – the blade that keeps my brother's blood in check, its sheath was carved from your bark."  
"Indeed, though if you stand here with the desire that this fact will help your father's youngest…" He trailed off, the tone in which the tree had referred to Inuyasha suggesting he knew full well of their more recent '_brotherly_' bond.  
"You are mistaken. I did not go to Totosai for a reason… I need… I need to find a way to stop Inuyasha's transformations."  
"Tetsusaiga is-"  
"-Tetsusaiga can be taken away!" he said, his voice holding a little more urgency than he'd intended. "You told me that with repeated transformations Inuyasha would lose his soul. I do not know how many times remain until he can never change back – it cannot happen again. There has to be something done to stop this – once and for all."

Bokusen-oh let out a low, rumbling chuckle. "Seems the heir finally understands his Sire's deepest wish…" he murmured, though Sesshomaru remained indifferent to the words.  
"You are older than my father himself," The Demon Lord stated, "you of all things on this earth would know what to do. Tell me."

There was a pause. Sesshomaru felt Inuyasha stir slightly, though the boy (thankfully) did not awaken. "You are not aware, I trust, of the main reason why Tenseiga was bequeathed to you?" Bokusen-oh asked. Sesshomaru smirked.  
"Because Inuyasha needed the Tetsusaiga, and I could not be trusted with the Sou'unga – that only left only one other sword to be my inheritabce. A sword that father intended for me to use at Inuyasha's side." Again, that low, rumbling laugh was his response, and it caused an unexpressed confusion to struggle to the surface of his tired face.  
"Did your father's last words to you, offer no clue whatsoever?"

The Demon Lord felt that confused frown meet his features, as he recalled those words: _"Have you someone to protect?" _

A look of dawning graced his face. "The sword was meant to protect Inuyasha?" he asked. Bokusen-oh said nothing, but Sesshomaru already knew the answer. "But it can only revive the dead, there is nothing-"  
"-What is it in the Tetsusaiga that comes to Inuyasha's aid every time he has need of it?" the Tree murmured with that rumbling voice. Sesshomaru raised a brow.  
"Father," Sesshomaru replied. "Just as it is father's blood that turns Inuyasha into a full-demon when his life is in danger, so is it father in Tetsusaiga that stops the transformation when his _soul_ is endangered by his demon."

It sounded confusing – it _was_ confusing, and he really didn't have time for all this bewilderment right now. As if he had read his thoughts Bokusen-oh spoke once more. "Put Tenseiga's blade to Inuyasha's flesh and draw blood, that is all you need do." This sentence, yet again, left Sesshomaru more than perplexed.  
"But Tenseiga cannot cut." All fell silent again, and remained so, aside from the casual noises of the surrounding wilderness there was no sound. Bokusen-oh did not answer his words, merely watched him carefully, as he turned, walking towards the hot spring he could sense nearby. He would have to trust the old creature's words, since his advice was all he had to go on…

The younger brother's body shuddered as it was laid down on the cool grass beside the steaming spring. Sesshomaru found himself all too grateful that it was enclosed by closely-knit trees, as he stood over his brother's unconscious (demonic) body, the Tenseiga in hand. Golden eyes perused the blade pensively. It felt odd to be cautious of a blade that could not cut, but in either case, it never hurt to be careful, especially with his pregnant mate already low on the blood count.

Lowering himself to his knees beside his brother, Sesshomaru supported the boy's head in the crook of his arm, and taking the boy's hand in his, he pressed the blade gently into the palm. So odd, to be so concerned over hurting his baby brother after being responsible for so many more fatal injuries (one of them including a gaping hole in his stomach). Nevertheless he paused, and with bated breath watched his brother's still unresponsive face as he drew the blade swiftly across the skin. The bitter tang of fresh blood made his nose twitch. And Inuyasha didn't move. He didn't change back either.

The Demon Lord took hold of the wounded hand again, staring at the shallow cut, and a frown creased his brow once more. There, the tiniest glimmer of a silver shard flickered with the light, before seeping into the wound, which promptly healed over as if it had never been. So strange given that none of the wounds inflicted by Hikireimaru had yet begun to heal. _I suspect it has something to do with the sword I used to cut him with,_ Sesshomaru thought.

Had this been his father's plan since before they were born? He must have known Tetsusaiga would eventually prove to have flaws when it came to stopping Inuyasha's transformations, so to give _him_ (Sesshomaru) the only other hope… Was that not placing far too much trust in him?

The Demon Lord set the sword down carefully once it was back in its sheath, his gaze still lingering over it. Perhaps his father had (as with most other things) foreseen the way guilt and affection would change his son's perspective on his half-demon brother – most likely not that he would become his mate, but that he would come to care for him… He was sure his father had known he would once be in the position of looking after Inuyasha some day, there was no other explanation – who else would know to go to Bokusen-oh for the solution? And why else give him the sword which would save him?

"Ahnnn…" The murmuring sigh drew Sesshomaru's attention to his brother, who blinked dazedly up at him with bewildered, _golden_ eyes. Inuyasha was back again. Sesshomaru smiled, such an ingenious idea, that with even that miniscule shard of his father's sword in Inuyasha's body, he would not lose control to his demon.

"Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked, and the boy turned his head to his voice, hand clenching over his stomach.  
"H-Hikireimaru-"  
"-We are far away from there right now. You said so yourself, it is safe now." The Demon Lord watched as his mate struggled to sit up, still holding his pained stomach. "Are you alright?"  
Inuyasha nodded, doubling over with the pain. Sesshomaru's eyes widened. "It is not…your time has not arrived yet, has it?"  
Inuyasha scowled at his brother's words.  
"Cramps is all…the pup's wreaking vengeance on me…" He struggled, trying to break free of his brother's embrace as he was steered carefully towards the hot spring's waters. He did not especially feel like being touched at the moment, but the water called to his sore, filth-ridden body.

Sesshomaru's kimono (Inuyasha's only clothing currently) shuddered to the ground beside Tenseiga, Tokijin and the attire his older brother now stepped fluidly from. He felt that irritating blush ride over his cheeks despite himself. He supposed that flush that arose when faced with intimacy would never fully fade; no matter how many times he _did it_. His brother stepped down into the waters, and Inuyasha struggled to keep his eyes above the Demon's waist-level as he lowered himself (with no little amount of difficulty) alongside him.

A soft sigh drew past his lips as he rested his back against Sesshomaru's chest. He tried not to cringe at the feel of those arms encircling him, flicking the water over his bloody torso. It didn't matter that Hikireimaru hadn't succeeded in raping him, or that his touch differed so from Sesshomaru's, he still felt so unworthy…_dirty_. Tipping his head back to stare at the starry heavens, he could only hope that that would change once he'd finished bathing himself – or more accurately when Sesshomaru had.

An oddly nice tingling greeted his still wounded flesh as the aches were soothed away, and though the water stung the cuts he at least knew he was clean again. As he felt those fingers smoothing over his skin, Inuyasha's own sifted through still dirty, _short_ silver hair. Perhaps Sesshomaru had sensed his pain at his hair's absence, but the Demon's hands enclosed over his own, drawing them away from his ruined tresses, and the Demon Lord leant in so that his lips barely skimmed Inuyasha's cheek. "It will grow back by tomorrow evening, Inuyasha." He watched the Half-demon offer a feeble nod. Inuyasha knew this to be true, he had re-grown an entire tooth in a day – his hair would grow back quicker. But that didn't help the fact that it was gone _now_.

Briefly Sesshomaru flicked his tongue over the blood that had trickled down the side of his sibling's face from his abused ear, and his mouth sealed the gashes buried beneath the crimson fluids there. Offering a soft, soothing hum, he allowed his fingers to ensnare Inuyasha's chin, turning the boy's face to him, so that he could capture the wounded ear gently between his lips. Inuyasha hissed at the stinging sensation as the Demon Lord's tongue stole against his flesh, bathing the broken appendage until he felt the pain there cease. Slowly permitting his mouth to descend, Sesshomaru moved in to press them against Inuyasha's lips, but the boy turned away.

"Without meaning to state the obvious…I sense a great deal of pain emanating from you…"  
"Keh," responded Inuyasha, "I wouldn't trouble you with it-"  
"-Trouble me!" Sesshomaru demanded, making his brother jump slightly. "I only wish I had something…only wish you would ask something of me that would aid you in some way."

There was a long silence. Inuyasha lowered his eyes, attempting to pry himself from Sesshomaru's arms, but his brother did not let go. "Don't," the Demon said simply. Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, finding it impossible not to see the extreme differences between his brother and that monster – they were _nothing_ alike, and the knowledge that he'd _ever_ contemplated the comparison made shame throb in his chest. Why was his brother so different now to when he'd been taken? Or had it been what he was about to tell him that night before he'd been caught?

The pup offered him a harsh kick, and he smirked through the pain. He didn't have it as bad as some. Kazuki, (who he hoped was back at the castle with the others) had suffered degrading, torturous and sick things for years – he (Inuyasha) had suffered it for a day or so, with the knowledge that there was someone coming to break him free of that hell eventually. Whether he realised it or not, his brother drew near him again, washing his hair with gentle insistence, and he didn't pull away.

Inuyasha seemed to forget simple things like food, (which he probably needed) he just didn't have the energy to even be hungry. He found himself lying back in the grass, Sesshomaru's mouth travelling his flesh and healing stubborn wounds. A dark flush dusted his cheeks in embarrassment as those lips sealed the gashes at his inner thigh, before moving upwards carefully. But no arousal reached him, those lips on him were as chaste as he had ever felt and his eyes glistened slightly at the feel of them.

Dark lashes fluttered against his cheeks as his eyes closed and he felt the pull of sleep draw him in. The pain disappeared slowly, the only discomfort the usual soreness paired with the coolness of the evening, though the latter was soon remedied as he felt the warmth of his now almost fully clothed brother curved around his form, that fur wrapping around him the same as those arms.

"Sesshomaru?" he murmured sleepily, eyes remaining closed. "Thanks for...coming to get me..."  
"Foolish Little Half-breed," The Demon Lord murmured against his skin, "You imagine I would leave you? You are my brother..." At this Inuyasha frowned, turning slightly to look into Sesshomaru's eyes. "What?" The Demon asked at his baby brother's confused look.  
"You just..." he blinked. "You've never... Why're you being so..." He growled softly at his inability to say what he wanted to.  
"It is obvious why," Sesshomaru murmured as Inuyasha's head rested back down again. "I was anxious for your safety..."

The Half-demon's eyes widened. "Don't tell me you _missed_ me," he murmured, but when Sesshomaru didn't say anything, that was answer enough. He flushed furiously. It seemed so very little had changed despite his ordeal, and yet everything had changed at the same time. A hot, breathy kiss against the nape of his neck was all he remembered, before he drifted into an uneasy sleep, trouble by images that he would not disclose to his brother come morning…

TBC

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A/N: As I said, I edited as much as I could but I do not see how i can edit it anymore without taking important parts that you have to know away from the chapter. But let me know if you think it's really too bad still and I will take more out. I'm not sure I like this chapter very much, i dont really know why, so let me know if you do like it. Well FIRST BEFORE YOU REVIEW! Please note that the reason i made the almost-rape harsh was because I wanted it to be nasty and horrible, and to not let Inuyasha enjoy it in anyway. So there was a reason for the foulness. And anyway, it was originally worse and I toned it down. But hope you appreciate that. But there was a nice little waff scene at the end XD Anyways remember to please keep the horrible reviews to a minimum, since I'm fragile ^_^ Review pwease ^.^

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	25. Through So Many Tears

Author's Note:  
FIRST OFF! I know Inuyasha might be seeming a bit wussy, but thats what is supposed to be happening. Its happening 'cause of the pregnancy WHICH WILL BE OVER SOON, once the pregnancy is over Inuyasha will get some of his fire back - you have seen some of it already, like with Shigehira and the small fights with Hikireimaru, I'm not gonna let Inuyasha just be some sad little uke all the way through, trust me, those of you that are getting miffed about him please realise I will do it only as long as there is both need and reason to. And hang on til the less assertive Inuyasha is over which will be just a few chapters, kk?  
Either way this chappie is angsty and mushy - a perfect mix of the two thanks to our favourite brothers ^_^ Some may see one or more of the characters as a little OOC in this chapter, but given everything thats happened in the story and everything the characters have gone through, its not really OOC its character development, so NO flames!

**Just a little note but I used an interesting and potentially confusing literary device here, Flashback within a flashback. you will see it where it comes up. Hopefully it does not confuse ya ;)**

Enjoy and Review please

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**Chapter Twenty-Five  
Through So Many Tears**

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_The night Inuyasha was taken..._

Inuyasha's panic swamped Sesshomaru's mind. He could feel the Half-demon's heart thudding rapidly in his ears and he leapt to his feet then. He had ignored it at first – he had been accustomed to Inuyasha's rapid mood swings, the boy would find panic in the most trivial of activities. Besides this, currently he held the responsibility to watch over his brother's new ward, as Inuyasha would have wanted. He glanced over to where Kazuki lay curled up at the bottom of one of the beds, still sleeping beneath the blanket Inuyasha had covered him with. Though had he known that Inuyasha's fear would soar to this height, he would have left to find him much sooner.

He offered the boy a final hesitant glance before darting from the hut. Takara was surely somewhere nearby, why hadn't he smelled Inuyasha's fear? Though the breeze that flew past him, causing silver hair to flutter against his skin answered that question. Inuyasha – he could feel him, but he couldn't smell him at all – anywhere.

_He must be downwind,_ Sesshomaru thought with an irritated growl as he stood by the hut, staring wildly about him as Inuyasha's pain grew until he felt like his head was going to explode from the pressure. A clawed hand clasped over his mark as golden eyes stared beyond the shadows of the trees that hugged the back of the hut they were to sleep in. Inuyasha had needed to use the facilities before, and considering the miniscule amount of time he could hold his bladder for thanks to the pup, he supposed he would have headed for the nearest cover – the forest.

All appearance and dignity lay forgotten as he charged towards the trees. Darkness welcomed his demon senses and he kept moving. He didn't know where Inuyasha was but he was sure he was nearby – he could feel that panic swell. Inuyasha was afraid? In pain? He felt his fangs grate into his gums, blood crying from his mouth as he felt his chest contort with an emotion he had much preferred to be without…anxiety.

How could his mood change so swiftly? Perhaps all this time with his brother had inflicted the Half-demon's attention span on him. He had been so confident, and calm a moment before, when he was prepared to tell Inuyasha…

Suddenly he stopped. The breeze ceased and his heartbeat pounded in his ears along with Inuyasha's…and something else… He frowned, struggling to hear, even with his demonic senses. And then it got louder, and any _human_ would have heard that. The agonised screams. And then, "GET OFF ME!"

Sesshomaru turned and flew towards the noise. He'd heard Inuyasha's voice. Over hanging branches snagged and caught his flesh as he passed, but he did not care to dodge them, he had to get to Inuyasha. Suddenly the wind flared in his nostrils and he caught that foreboding whiff of Hikireimaru, mingled with the blood of his little brother. His pace quickened even more. The scent was getting stronger. Abruptly the trail ended, and he skidded to a halt in the small, shadowy glade, golden gaze darting about wildly for some clue as to where they had gone.

The Demon Lord felt his heart skip a beat. His breath caught in his lungs. Inuyasha had vanished. For that moment he could have sworn even the wind ceased – everything stopped. Everything died. Until suddenly white-hot fury tore through him, his skin hummed with its heat and he spun on his heel, claws poised as they ripped into the nearest tree. An enraged snarl echoed through the clearing, and Sesshomaru distinctly heard the flutter of wings as the nocturnal beasts fled his wrath.

Crimson fluids seeped from his bleeding knuckles as he drew his arm back slowly, eyes glowing as red as the blood he licked from the wounds. If Inuyasha was harmed, death would not be granted to the demon who would writhe, and scream and beg for death long before he would take pity on the creature and offer it. Hikireimaru would regret his foolish actions, of that he was sure…

That painful recollection, where the briefest of terror had seized his demonic body caused shame to ebb at the back of his mind. He had been scared he'd lost Inuyasha, and it burned his soul to realise it.

Sesshomaru stared down at his brother's body, and his own clawed fingertips stroked over once again flawless flesh. Inuyasha had cringed at his touch before he had fallen into slumber, it was only natural he supposed, given what had happened, but he had been starting to get so accustomed to Inuyasha _liking_ his attention…

Now however, soft, slumbering breaths shuddered into his ears and he felt his treacherous mouth quirk into the smallest of smiles. His fingers brushed against that cheek, brushing short silver hair back from those features. The silvery tresses now hung down between the Half-demon's shoulder-blades, almost half their normal length. Something hurt inside when he looked at it – at the splendour cut away from his brother the same as the boy's dignity.

A soft sigh that signalled troubled sleep drifted through slightly parted lips, the Half-demon rolling onto his side slightly. Ignoring the call of his heat with all his strength, Sesshomaru descended upon him gently, rubbing the small of his back in slow circles as he permitted his lips to fall against the boy's cheek.

He was glad that they were alone now. He felt the irresistible force drawing him down to Inuyasha, to his honey-hued flesh, but felt a slight awkwardness at obeying that urge. A Demon Lord desiring to be close to his Half-demon brother? A Demon Lord desiring any intimate closeness this strongly in the first place? It was shameful… It was wrong. These was the very emotions that had sent his father to his death… So why did he still want this? Why did he still spoon against his brother's body like an affection-starved whippet?

It annoyed him to realise that this wasn't merely an act of kindness because Inuyasha was emotionally wounded. But what irritated him even further was the nagging voice at the back of his mind that told him this was also because of something else...because he was so relieved to have Inuyasha back, and would not tear his eyes away in case this was his imagination. It had seemed too easy, almost anti-climactic to get him back without a struggle from Hikireimaru, but something told him that that easy rescue was all part of a more sinister plan that Sesshomaru did not understand...

A small intake of breath drew him back from his pensiveness, and he pulled back slightly to regard his slowly awakening brother carefully. The Half-demon's mouth stretched in a wide yawn before hazy eyes struggled to regain their focus. "Hnn?" Inuyasha murmured as he looked to him, obviously expecting Sesshomaru to decipher the meaning of his mumbling.

"Are you feeling well?" Sesshomaru asked, Inuyasha shrugged.  
"Alright I suppose…" He could say nothing more, what did Sesshomaru expect him to say after what had happened? He fidgeted uncomfortably at the warmth surrounding him – his brother's warmth. It felt like putting fresh clothes on a dirty body and he cringed as those long fingers traced softly up his arm. The Demon Lord frowned, leaning back to permit Inuyasha to crawl out from under him, and shuffle backwards slightly. He felt Inuyasha's dilemma in his mind – torn between suspicion and confusion. Did the boy really still think he was anything like Hikireimaru? The notion made bile creep up the back of his throat.

"You have no need to fear me, Inuyasha," the Demon Lord assured him softly, seizing his clean haori and dropping it over the Half-demon's naked shoulders. Clawed fingers scrambled to pull the fabric tight around him, shielding his suddenly all-too vulnerable skin from both Sesshomaru's eyes and the early morning air.

"Keh," Inuyasha growled, "Whose afraid? Like I'd be scared of _you_. You can't do anything to me – it'd hurt your precious pup…"

There was something about the way he'd said that…he didn't like it whatever it was. The Demon Lord lowered himself to his knees before Inuyasha, his golden gaze studying the Half-demon's uncomfortable expression for a moment. "Do not recoil from me as if I were a disease," Sesshomaru growled gently. "I am not Hikireimaru-"  
"-You don't think I _know_ that?" The Half-demon spat bitterly. Sesshomaru raised a brow at that. He had heard what Hikireimaru had said to his brother back in that mortal village, and he had seen a thoughtful look cross his features as the Half-demon compared them both. Had this encounter with Hikireimaru changed his view so thoroughly?

"You're nothing like Hikireimaru," Inuyasha murmured huskily, his eyes averted so that Sesshomaru could not comprehend his meaning completely. The Demon reached forward, and his sibling recoiled as his fingers reached for him. Sesshomaru's palm brushed over the boy's cheek determinedly, turning his face to him so that he could press his lips against that slightly startled mouth. Inuyasha struggled against his mouth, yanking sharply on Sesshomaru's hair to try and get him off. Panic assaulted his weakened body as the Demon Lord caught his wrists and pinned them down into the grass, an ardent kiss sneaking inside his protesting mouth. And he felt that trapped feeling escalate.

The Older brother moaned gently into the younger's mouth, causing delicious sensations to tremble against it. He'd be damned if he let Inuyasha push him away now, after all this time…

Seizing a fistful of the silver locks that now reached down past the Half-demon's shoulder blades, Sesshomaru jerked the boy's head back, breaking their kiss so that Inuyasha cried out in negation to the sensation of the Demon's mouth descending upon his throat. Sesshomaru shuddered as warm tingles shot through his own mark as his tongue danced against Inuyasha's. He heard Inuyasha moan, felt his body tense unwittingly beneath him.

"Ge-Get off…" the Half-demon groaned, and Sesshomaru smirked against his skin.  
"I will not permit you to run away from me…"

Those hot words caressed his skin, and Inuyasha closed his eyes defiantly. He wouldn't give his brother the satisfaction of seeing the mix of fear and arousal that he inspired in him. Shameful shivers coursed through his body as his skin buzzed. This was his brother, and a man but that didn't bother him any longer – he had moved passed that, and before Hikireimaru ,he had come to admit (at least to himself) that he relished in Sesshomaru's more intimate attentions. But now… He couldn't stand being touched, having his body and its reactions controlled by another so thoroughly. He loathed being under someone else's power…

The Demon Lord kept those arms pinned to the grass, and watched his brother's averted, glassy gaze closely. His fingers ghosted down that sternum, tormenting the soft skin as it tried to recoil from him. "I am aware of what Hikireimaru forced upon you, Inuyasha," he murmured, feeling his brother tense under him. Sesshomaru clenched his teeth together in self discipline – his heat throbbed in his ears, begging to allow him to take the vulnerable creature beneath him, but he couldn't… He knew he couldn't… Inuyasha would never forgive him, and for some reason that bothered him more than he liked…

The Half-demon's golden eyes widened as they considered Sesshomaru carefully, feeling the Demon lean in to softly lick his cheek before drawing back to look upon him.

"There is…" Sesshomaru paused momentarily to recover himself. He was no good at comforting others, and even less skilled at being tactfully affectionate. "…nothing Hikireimaru has done tarnishes you… Nothing could…"

Inuyasha blinked at him and upon feeling the grip on his wrists slacken, he propped himself up on his elbows.

_"I will not permit you to run away from me…"_

Sesshomaru had said that, and it had confused him. Had Sesshomaru honestly been that concerned for him? Or was it also the fact that he was anxious about how he (Inuyasha) would cope with what had happened. The Half-demon frowned. Did his brother really think him stupid enough to try and flee from this kind of problem? Under desperate instruction from his pregnant instincts he leant up a little further to press his head under Sesshomaru's chin. "I wasn't going to runaway – I had the chance to do that and I didn't…"

A soft movement nudged against his stomach from the inside. It felt like the pup was spurring him on. But looking into his brother's eyes then, he could not help recalling Hikireimaru's words… Had those distant ramblings of the Demon been true? Had Sesshomaru really killed all those half-demons, and if so, where did that leave their relationship?

A frown creased the Demon Lord's features at the sudden wave of confused sadness from his sibling. "Is something the matter, Inuyasha?"

The Half-demon seemed unable to answer at first, his lip caught between his teeth and he stared thoughtfully at Sesshomaru's chest, unwilling to meet his eyes. Why did it feel like he was betraying the Demon Lord if he was sceptical? And more importantly, why did he care? Hadn't Sesshomaru betrayed him countless times? _Not recently,_ his mind supplied, and this was true, though this did little to spare him the sudden swell of guilt in his chest.

Inuyasha felt clawed fingers grasp his chin gently, tipping his head so that the brothers' eyes met once more, and the Half-demon inhaled shakily. He only just realised…he didn't want to hurt Sesshomaru. The pup nudged against his stomach once more and his arms encircled the Demon Lord's neck, drawing him down into his embrace. His cheek rested against his brother's hair, and he closed his eyes before venturing speech – for some reason he couldn't look at Sesshomaru when he spoke.

"Did you kill Hikireimaru's mate?" The question that spilled from his lips permeated the air until the words turned stale in the countless moments of silence that followed. He felt Sesshomaru's embrace tighten, could have sworn he felt his brother toying idly with his short hair. "Did you really kill all those Half-demons, like he said?" he asked, again, but the older male didn't answer.

He sat back to consider his brother carefully for a moment. Those eyes shimmered with a foreboding sadness he had rarely seen in Sesshomaru's eyes, he didn't like it there. He would rather have his brother was the strong, overbearing (albeit overprotective) Seme he had been used to, not this person that was slowly succumbing to his own regrets. "I'll only ask you this once, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha murmured, "and I won't doubt you again."

Another pause followed, and Sesshomaru rose to his feet slowly, leaving his mate a little chilly without his warmth, as he approached the hot-spring basin, staring up at the ethereal heavens. The moon spilled its light over silvery locks, and upon watching the way each strayed toyed with the moon's glow, a ping of sadness reached Inuyasha's chest as he realised his was no longer like that…

"Doubt me…" Sesshomaru purred as golden eyes scanned the skies, "doubt me, for I have sinned, Little Brother, though not in the way you presume…"

Blood raced down pale skin that had been deprived of sunlight for so long. Something told him that this was to keep his skin from darkening from this elegant porcelain, and his body had learnt not to react to the sunlight for fear of being imprisoned again…the same way as his body had learnt not to react to pain… At least not in the normal way…

His obsidian tresses were hot and sticky on his flesh, and the boy swept lengthy dark hair from his eyes, unable to bind it back since his wretched Master had refused to permit him a tie for it. Crimson eyes widened slightly at the thought. He should not think such things about his Master, despite his cruelty…

He continued walking amongst the hordes of demons – the army of demons his Master controlled. He marched at the front, at his Master's side, his crimson gaze flickering to that sinister man occasionally at the bitter recollections of his '_education_'…

He shuddered in remembering the spiteful chains cutting into his tender flesh, suspending his frail carcass from the ceiling so that the ground had merely teased his toes from inches below. He couldn't even recall now how long ago it was that all this had begun, all he knew now was that he had been changed…transfigured into this creature that felt no pain from this affliction. His head had hung low, his obsidian locks, the only part of him he took pride in cascading over bloodied shoulders. The memory of that potent scent of blood and sex assaulted his senses, even now as he looked back. He could could still feel his body throb. Still felt the tremors shake him, and his entrance clench around the foreign object. He blanched, recalling the plug holding in the undesirable fluids of the men that his master had unleashed, whilst he'd watched in amusement from the corner…

How sick and depraved he felt from feeling those things under such vile and cruel touches…

But in the misery of that 'lesson', soft hands had smoothed over his cheeks, rescuing him with their warmth as his own crimson orbs glistened with the diminutive light, drinking in the appearance of the angel before him. His heart skipped a beat at the mere memory. Those cerulean eyes had swept over his own with a sad understanding, slender fingers had glided back into his hair, tying it gently with the binding from his own tresses. _"Master Hikireimaru..."_ His boy's purring, innocent voice whispered into his thoughts, the memory of that warm smile threatening to show on Hikireimaru's face.

Forgetting the powerful, dangerous Master he walked beside, he lost himself to the memory then. To the images and the sensations still so clear, of the Half-demon offering soft tugs at his bonds, freeing his numb legs and arms from them so that he shuddered to the floor unhindered. His head had pressed exhaustedly against the floor, his breath steaming over the cold stone - the same floor that the Half-demon Inuyasha would lie on, under Hikireimaru's torture many years later...

_"Master I wish I did not have to see you suffer so," he murmured, and Hikireimaru closed his eyes.  
"Touya…" he sighed heavily, unable to bring himself to speak anymore. Feeling those soft hands wash the deliciously vulgar stains from his flesh, he relaxed a little despite himself. He felt sordid and repulsive…and he couldn't stand the way it felt so good… What had his master done to him? This was not the way he wanted to be…this was not…normal…_

_Raising his head to the boy stroking his hair gently, he smiled despite himself. Was it normal to love this boy so thoroughly, but not have the strength to break free of the grimy bonds that his Master (who had raised him for this very immoral purpose) had placed on him?_

_The boy brought the bowl to his lips to drink from, ridding his mouth of that foul, lingering taste of sex. He could not draw this innocent mouth down to his to kiss, lest he poison him as well…_

_Then there was a moment, as Touya watched Hikireimaru set the bowl aside, he leaned forward brazenly, nervous eyes alight with axcitement studying the darker gaze thoughtfully, before lowering his lips to the Demon's. Such a chaste move, and yet Hikireimaru felt the desire for more tonight. His arm looped around the boy's neck and he drew the smaller frame into his own. The embrace was clumsy, one inexperienced with intimacy and the other unused to taking the dominant role, even after their few times together._

_Hikireimaru's body sung as he felt Touya melt into him, their heartbeats hammering hard in their breathless chests. This was so unlike the pleasure at his Master's hands. Touya whimpered into his mouth and he swallowed the noise hungrilly, gasping the Half-demon's name into his petal-soft lips.  
"Touya," he breathed, his free hand sliding into that glistening silver hair and gripping him tightly, as if he may disapear along with the tenderness of their limited moments together. For he knew that the bliss of their time together would end some day, if his Master ever found out. "Touya," He gasped again, tears streaking down his pale cheeks as he prayed for it never to end. The Half-demon trembled in his almost overwhelming embrace._

_"You are too much, My Love," Touya gasped, drawing back to draw breath into his lungs, "I love you too much, I fear it may break me."  
Hikireimaru smiled tugging the boy back to his mouth, more gently this time.  
"Never break you, My Love," Hikireimaru replied between kisses, returning the pet name with a heavy heart. He didn't know what he'd do if his Master found out...he would kill Touya for sure... "It can only make you soar higher on those wings of yours." He watched that virtuous, celestial smile grace those kiss-bruised lips, and he returned it in earnest, for the first time in his life. No. He would not allow this bliss to be torn away. His Master would not tear this away as well..._

_But he could not go back…_

Hikireimaru almost flinched as he drifted back from his much more pleasant memories, inclining his head to the beast walking beside him. Thankfully the brute had not noticed his daydreams, or else yesterday's 'lesson' would have been repeated. _No,_ he reminded himself. There would never be another lesson.

That night, he had rebelled against his master, wiped his soul from the earth with his bare hands, as if he had never been… The angel he adored was in his arms, the army that had followed his deceased master were now under his control, but he could not go back… He still couldn't go back to the way he had been before…

Inuyasha blinked at his brother's eyes as they glazed over with thoughtfulness, and the Half-demon worried his lip between his fangs briefly, before venturing speech. "Sesshomaru…how do you know so much about-"  
"-Hikireimaru's master…the one who made him what he was… He was a lower demon in charge of a small regiment in Father's army… One day, when I was young, he raided a village, and seized a child Hikireimaru as spoils of war-"  
"-You mean, the bastard killed everyone he ever knew and then took a little boy to raise as his slave?" Inuyasha interupted, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "Like Shigehira and Kazuki?"  
Sesshomaru nodded.  
"Similar yes. Hikireimaru was raised by his master, prepared for immoral uses from a young age. When I ascended to fill Father's place however…I realised that Father had not realised the master had turned Hikireimaru into more than his second in command, and I admit, at the time I was not as bothered by the idea as I might be now…"

Inuyasha frowned, tilting his head slightly in confusion. "But I thought Hikireimaru was centuries older than you?"  
"Indeed…but that is because he has manipulated the flow of time, travelling freely through it as he wishes for centuries…He is, not much younger than myself – at least he was…"

The Half-demon's confusion was all-too evident on his features, and Sesshomaru sighed almost tiredly. "He overthrew his master, and took control of his army. They become independent from the Western Lands…however they crossed my path shortly after Father's passing, but the deserters refused to return… I killed many of them – I do not deny the slaughter of pointless creatures who rebel against me. A point had to be made at the beginning of my reign, if I showed the slightest weakness, I would have been overthrown by everyone…"

Wide golden eyes watched him pensively – they unnerved him. He never knew what to expect from Inuyasha, and despised that those eyes made him so apprehensive of his words. "You don't have to justify your actions to me you know," Inuyasha muttered quietly, "I may be just an _uneducated, Half-demon brat_, but I do know that sometimes there are things that have to be done to keep yourself alive…" He frowned when his brother looked a little taken-aback. His temper may have been rattled by this normally, but as the occasion stood – it was too solemn to test his sibling's patience.

"But I don't understand why Hikireimaru's-"  
"-I turned to kill Hikireimaru and the boy stood in my path," Sesshomaru explained, cutting across him, "he moved quickly, I did not receive enough warning to rectify my error… I killed him, Inuyasha." There was a pause, in which his little brother said nothing at all, and he felt his apprehension ascend to suffocating heights. "I hold no responsibility for it. It was one mistake in decades of battle, one I have never looked back on until now…" The Demon Lord watched his brother raise a brow disbelievingly.  
"So, that time you met Hikireimaru in the woods, (when I ran away) is that why you didn't kill him?"

"I do feel that Hikireimaru holds me responsible for that half-demon brat, Touya's death," Sesshomaru said, all-too matter-of-factly, disregarding his brother's question. "I am to understand from various sources that…he spent years learning to harness the ability to travel the numerous oceans of time, in order to find him again – in a different body of course…"

Suddenly Inuyasha's ears pricked. He remembered now. "Hikireimaru said when he found the kid's spirit again it was too late…what did he mean?" he asked. Sesshomaru's eyes considered him for one silent moment.  
"You of all people know that the reincarnation at best only has brief flashes of their past lives – if that. The spirit could return as anything – could have been demon, human…it makes no difference, it would hold no memories from before, so naturally, they must have fallen for someone else before he found him…" The Demon watched his mate frown at him, not for the first nor last time that day. "Do not allow such contortions to affect your face in such an undignified manner, Little Brother."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "It's just weird hearing you talk about love and sissy stuff like that is all – hardly a romantic are ya? You goaded me for saying that I loved Kagome." Evidently his older brother held no suitable response to his words, as he rose to his feet slowly, pulling him to his feet after him.

"Takara returned to the castle with Kazuki on my orders shortly before I came for you, we will return there so that you may recover from…your ordeal, however there is something we must do first."

Inuyasha groaned mentally. He didn't want to walk around with nothing but his brother's kimono to shield his body from the unyielding cruelty of the world…everything hurt…he wanted to sleep, he wanted to sleep and not wake up until this whole pregnancy thing was over. He had never liked the idea of being pregnant but he certainly hated it now… He hated relying on people… He hated being weak…

The sun rose fully into the sky, signalling midday, and its rays washed over the brothers as they walked slowly through the trees below, wading in and out of the sunlight. "It is not much further, Inuyasha, the quicker this is done the quicker we may return to the castle," Sesshomaru called back to his brother, who was trailing behind. He stopped then, turning fully to face the pensive Half-demon.

"Is there something bothering you?" he asked, unable to disguise the apprehension in his voice. Inuyasha looked up at him, shrugging slightly.  
"I divulged to you my encounter with Hikireimaru before our reconciliation – what more do you desire?"  
"Keh…" murmured Inuyasha, striding past his brother as if he were not there; Sesshomaru growled softly in exasperation.  
"Do you detest me for one mistake?" the Demon Lord asked, moving to stand in front of the Half-demon, blocking his path forward. Inuyasha raised a brow at his words, trying not to notice the unease in his Older Brother's composure.  
"Why does it suddenly bother you if I hate you?" He saw his brother practically recoil from the sharp words, and regret ebbed at the Half-demon's features. He sighed heavily, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

"I don't hate you… I don't even dislike you I just…" he paused again, not realising the way his hand had ghosted over his stomach. Sesshomaru's gaze softened and he approached his brother, clawed fingers settling overhis sibling's. Inuyasha tensed, hiseyes widening.  
"A lot on your mind?" the Demon Lord asked, but Inuyasha recoiled from his touch as if it had burned. "What is the-"  
"-Don't – just…don't touch me," Inuyasha murmured, out of breath as if he had just run a short mile. "I'm sorry, but – I don't want to be-"  
"-Such futile nonsense!" Sesshomaru snapped. Seizing his brother's waist and pulling his reluctant body into his arms, he disregarded the boy's desperate struggles for freedom and pressed his nose into the silver tresses, inhaling deeply. He cringed at the smell of Hikireimaru that lingered despite Inuyasha's cleanness. Grazing the silvery strands with his lips, Sesshomaru scented him softly, the initial tenseness flooding from the smaller frame, as the Half-demon leant in to his touches slightly.

"So keen to be covered in me again?" Sesshomaru breathed, but Inuyasha said nothing, did not even begin argue, merely blushed darkly at the implications of that husky voice. The Demon Lord drew back, considering his brother's flushed expression and glassy eyes before, pressing his forehead to his own, and breathing in deeply. "I would not have it any other way…"

After a moment's awkward pause his touch shuddered away, leaving a lost Inuyasha staring confusedly at him. "We are not far now," Sesshomaru said hoarsely, turning to continue through the trees. Inuyasha sighed, following slowly behind. His eyes remained trained on the ground, trying to ignore that blatant flare of arousal in his brother's scent, he had hoped that was why he'd pulled away. But what aggravated him the most was that he wanted to be held like that in the first place! Since when had he, Inuyasha ever wanted to be coddled or embraced, whispered to in soft, endearing platitudes that made him want to fall forever into that comfort, into a place where he wouldn't have to fight anymore…?

How pitiful…  
How absurdly revolting…  
How could he wish for something so simple…so pathetic…?

Was this the reason he had given in to Sesshomaru so easily? Because he could look after him? He was a man too – wasn't he supposed to protect someone – a _woman_ – Kagome more precisely? He shook the thoughts from his mind, that wasn't what this was about… He had long since realised…he was never going to see her again – he knew that Sesshomaru would inevitably survive the changes of the world even as the humans became the dominant species, and hence so would he, but he could never see her, never face her…not now… So there was little point in dwelling on her.

If it was an emotion that was futile, and cost him energy, energy he would need to survive, he had long since learnt to disregard it, or at least push it to the back of his mind. The loss of his mother, the lack of a father, Kikyo, they had each been left to the dark recesses of his mind back then, and he had survived, he would do so again.

This wasn't about Kagome anymore…it couldn't be, because Sesshomaru was the one he was with now, he had let go of what was – what he had been before, but that wasn't what this was about either…

Hikireimaru – that was what this was about. Because he hadn't been able to push him away, or break free, at least not before he had dragged his claws through what remained of his dignity and pride, and that was what made him who he was… He felt the shards of everything that made him Inuyasha, shudder to the ground. But what scared him even more was who was left to pick up the pieces…

Sesshomaru? Would he even care enough to do so? He had come to rescue him for sure, but was that because of him, or because of the pup or even worse – because of the pride it cost him if he let _'his'_ property be stolen so easily by someone like Hikireimaru? He shivered involuntarily. He was broken, but what if he stayed like this? If Sesshomaru was all that he had… He had come to trust him, that much was true, but that was his physical body – how was he expected to know whether or not the rest of him was equally important to his brother?

_"Safe…"_ Something inside him had whispered that before, when Sesshomaru had rescued him… He had felt something during that lapse of unconsciousness, he had felt an undeniable warmth around him ceaselessly, heard a heartbeat thud dully against his ear, as murmuring, senseless words washed over him – words of familiar voices…

Suddenly a wave unnerving sensations washed over him. His arm reached out, bracing him against a nearby tree and steadying himself as he gasped breathlessly for air. His vision flashed back and forth from red, and he shut them tightly. His demon blood was boiling. It felt like the world was spinning around him and the ground was suddenly uneven beneath his feet. It felt like he was falling even though he was standing still. What was happening?

_"I need to find a way to stop Inuyasha's transformations…"  
"Tetsusaiga is-"  
"-Tetsusaiga can be taken away!" _

His vision flashed to-and-from crimson furiously. Inuyasha choked, claws dragging against his throat, he couldn't breathe! But he could hear Sesshomaru's voice saying those words…mixed with another voice he couldn't recall – they were talking about Tetsusaiga? Why did they sound so distant? Sesshomaru was right next to him wasn't he? "S-Sesshomaru?" he gasped out, his own voice tearing at his throat in demonic growls, he couldn't see, he couldn't breathe! He felt something touch him, was it Sesshomaru?

"Inuyasha?" That voice sounded closer than those far off words…But they were both his brother, of that he was sure. "Inuyasha? Inuyasha!"  
_"…with repeated transformations Inuyasha would lose his soul. I do not know how many times remain until he can never change back – it cannot happen again. There has to be something done to stop this…"_  
"Answer me! What is happening…?"  
_"The Sword was meant to protect Inuyasha?"_  
"Say something, I demand you to say something!"  
_"Just as it is father's blood that turns Inuyasha into a full-demon when his life is in danger, so is it father in Tetsusaiga that stops the transformation when his soul is endangered by his demon."_  
"ANSWER ME!"  
_"It is alright, Inuyasha…"_

"STOP IT!" He had screamed that time, and everything stopped. The world fell silent. His crimson vision ebbed away. His breath was heavy and erratic but it was there, and as he looked up, so was Sesshomaru, staring down at him with an odd glistening sheen to his eyes.  
"Inuyasha? What-"  
"-What happened after you took me from Hikireimaru?" The Half-demon gasped, swatting away his brother's assistance and steadying himself on his feet as the world stopped spinning. "While I was unconscious, what happened?"

The Demon Lord frowned, evidently not understanding where this was coming from. "You failed to turn back into a Half-demon…therefore I went to someone who could help me change you back." To this he watched his little brother frown, evidently that hadn't been all he'd expected in an answer to his question.

"Bokusen-oh," he continued, "was an ally of Father's, the sheaths of our swords were carved from his bark. He told me how to turn you back." There was a short silence, in which Inuyasha was most probably deciding whether he was telling the truth or not.  
"I heard what you said…" he murmured, and Sesshomaru raised a brow at that.  
"How could you have done so? Not only were you asleep, you were a demon-"  
"Look I know what I heard," Inuyasha interrupted testily. "But I heard it – just now…" It was then that he stopped, looking up at his brother with wide eyes. "A moment ago, I was thinking about… And then my eyes… somehow my demon side must have been trying to show me what it heard, to make me trust you the same way it does…" He paused again, straightening up as he looked into the impassive eyes of the demon before him.

"Why did you want to change me back – I know my demon side listens to you, wants you more than I do…" He did not like the way his brother flinched at that last part, and tried to ignore it, "I know because when I'm me again it tries to tell me…to submit, to do as I'm told – because all my demon is, is my base-instincts. I understand _'it'_ perfectly now…what I don't understand is _you_…"

Turning his head away from his brother in an attempt to avoid his eyes he sighed quietly, glad for the feel of his hair brushing against the base of his spine, meaning that it had fully grown back at last. "I didn't even think you _liked_ me all that much…why the hell would you care if I stayed the dutiful, submissive demon for the rest of my life?"

A sneer crossed the Demon Lord's face in unison with the angry growl that rumbled in the back of his throat. "How utterly absurd – do you honestly assume I would keep _anything_ at my side which I hated? _No one_ has come as close to me as you have, not Takara, nor Nannami, nor even Rin – you are the one…and you dare question me. I fail to understand how even _you_ can misinterpret my actions and words!"

Inuyasha flinched at the harshness in that voice. But his awkwardness only incited anger. "Well how the hell am I supposed to know what you think or feel? You're such a cold-blooded bastard, so closed off-"  
"-I would have told you!" Sesshomaru all-but shouted, his tone cutting off his brother's voice completely, "That night, when Hikireimaru took you, did you not realise the implications of my words before you left?"  
"Well tell me now!" Inuyasha yelled, "I'm right here!"

It was then that a blanket of silence fell over them. Sesshomaru's fingers ran slowly through the silvery tresses that once again cascaded over his sibling's shoulders, the concentration in his intense eyes suggesting he was making sure every hair had grown back to its former splendour. "I would have told you how important you were… And when Hikireimaru took you, I thought that perhaps I would never have another opportunity to do so. That…concerned me a great deal more than I would prefer…"

Inuyasha inhaled slowly, not sure what to say. "Are you saying that…you were you scared?"

Sesshomaru turned away slightly, evidently unable to voice such a thing, though it was obviously true. "You unnerve me, Little Brother," he said all-but silently. "How much must I yield, how far must I expose my weakness for you, before the world seizes its chance to tear me apart? Like Father, and Grandfather before me, my brutality, my composure is crumbling away with each gaze you throw me… Those eyes, that body – YOU are destroying me and, (the Gods help me) all I can think of is how you are feeling!" He screamed and Inuyasha flinched as his brother's fist raised, descending upon him.

Golden eyes opened cautiously to find his brother's arm outstretched beside his face, fist clenched and buried within the bark of the tree behind him. And those eyes, intensely gold with crimson tinting their edges stared into him, so forcefully he didn't know whether he was angry or not.

"Just like that…" Sesshomaru purred, "You flinch, even after everything I have done for you…as if I would strike you, even if you were not carrying my pup. That fact is irrelevant. I am not the same creature that's claws tore into your flesh all for the futile desire of a sword..." His words trailed off, and his hand drew back, bringing with it the untransformed blade of the Tetsusaiga, held neatly in his grasp – causing him no pain?

Inuyasha looked confused. He _was_ confused! He stared at the hilt, resting in his brother's unharmed grasp, and tremors of unease caused the hairs on the back of his neck to raise. His brother was holding the Tetsusaiga. Sesshomaru could sense his discomfort, but Inuyasha would not discover until moments later, that this was what caused that almost disappointed expression to reach the Demon Lord's eyes.

"Even now…you disarm me, if you had asked I would have run myself through with this blade, yet…as it is, you fear my possession of it." That hurtfully impassive look reached him again, and he tossed the sword carelessly to his little brother, before turning from him, and walking slowly away. Inuyasha felt a foul, familiar guilt rise up like bile in his throat. _Sesshomaru's voice just then,_ he thought, staring from the ever-receding form of his brother, to the sword once again in his hands.

He pursued Sesshomaru as swiftly as his body permitted, before calling out. "Hey! How come it didn't burn you!" At this he watched the Demon pause, though he did not turn. Inuyasha stopped mere inches behind him, still clutching the Tetsusaiga carefully. "Tetsusaiga has never let you touch it before – why now?" Silver hair captured him almost as his brother whipped around face him, each strand dazzling with each slither of sunlight that reached it. Any straight man would admit that Sesshomaru was beautiful right now, but Inuyasha swallowed nervously at that look in those eyes, not the beauty in them.

"Because the Tetsusaiga is not my desire any longer – I used Tenseiga to stop the Demon in you from taking you away…"  
"What are you saying?" the Half-demon asked, still unable to believe what he was hearing. He watched Sesshomaru grate his teeth together, blood weeping from the corner of his lip, as his aggravation transferred through their mark to Inuyasha, assaulting the Half-demon's senses with his waves of overwhelming emotion.

"Since you are such a simple half-demon perhaps I should divulge it completely to you. Though you seem so utterly smitten with Priestesses perhaps it would be useless to do so."  
"What have Kikyo and Kagome got to do with this?" Inuyasha asked, his own anger brewing beneath the surface of his skin at the callous mentioning of their place in his heart.  
"Mostly the latter…" Sesshomaru growled, spanning the small gap between them, hands gripping Inuyasha's arms with claws poised, so that if Inuyasha budged, they would break the skin. His lips hovered close to the smaller male's lips, and Inuyasha knew Sesshomaru could both feel and sense his trepidation.

"She will always be the one who holds your attention – she is five-hundred years away from us and yet still you will not look at me!"  
"I'M LOOKING AT YOU NOW!" Inuyasha screamed, confused. Sesshomaru wasn't supposed to be like this, he was supposed to be cruel, heartless… He caught himself then, realising his flaw. Why did Sesshomaru have to be that way in his mind? Because it was so much simpler than realising he suffered just as much as he did? It was a ridiculous and cruel thought, but it was true, all this time and he had only just appreciated, how much Sesshomaru had suffered, and all he had cared about was himself….

"You never look at me…" The Demon Lord muttered, barely above a whisper. "I may have started this relationship wrongly, but ever since realising my errors, I have made amends for them – I have worshipped and indulged you, flattered you, I have risked my life and my position in showing the world your place in my home and _you_…" He paused, considering his brother's expression briefly, "you have not even the decency to think of me when you look at me…"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to argue but Sesshomaru growled nastily, silencing him. "I can smell lies on you – do not _dare_ lie to me. I can see you doing it – every time you are comparing me to that priestess and it disgusts me! There is nothing wrong with me! Nothing imperfect, or flawed, and yet you still do not choose me! I am Lord Sesshomaru; I will not pale in comparison – in ANYONE'S mind to a simpering, mortal girl!"

Inuyasha growled at that, launching forwards and sinking his fangs roughly into his brother's neck. He knew it wouldn't kill him, but it would hurt him like hell! And piss him off. He didn't care how angry Sesshomaru was, it was he, Inuyasha who had done wrong, it was hardly fair to blame Kagome for how much he was in love with her. And he wouldn't stand for it. But Sesshomaru didn't strike him, or push him off. Inuyasha pulled back, his brother's claws still gripping his arms tightly, without breaking the skin. He could have ripped his arms off for his insolence, for blemishing his flesh with his filthy half-demon fangs, but he hadn't – he hadn't moved.

Blood cascaded over Inuyasha's lips and he frowned, looking into his brother's eyes. Is this what it had taken for him to realise Sesshomaru previous words were true? If Sesshomaru had not ripped him apart just then, even in instinct, then there could only be one solution – that for whatever reason, he couldn't.

"Does it hurt you to realise I am not as wholly malicious and heartless as you would have assumed? I would have preferred it to remain so…preferred to be careless in regards to you, and used you as my whore, and breeding entity, but I have not, and will not… I would have preferred if a half-demon, my Father's disgrace had not changed who I am in just a few short passes of the moon." He stepped back, releasing Inuyasha, and positioning the sword so that his brother held it out between them, the blade wavering over the older sibling's chest. "I would have desperately desired it to remain…that _that_ was all you were to me – a filthy half-demon, my father's disgrace, but you are not…"

Inuyasha swallowed hard again, the sword in his grasp shaking slightly with the intensity of emotion – from Sesshomaru. Anger, affection, betrayal mixed with numerous others coursed through him, and it was overwhelming, he felt dizzy. He realised now, that all this time, he'd been passing this kind of intensity onto Sesshomaru, every time, every moment, of every day, whereas Sesshomaru, for his pride, for his dignity, for his position…he'd never let Inuyasha possess so much as a quarter of his emotion, he'd shut him out (and not without reason), until now…

Long, tapered fingers caught the sharp edge of the blade, closing around it and steadying it in Inuyasha's grasp. The Half-demon watched his brother's hand weep blood over the blade, and his eyes widened, whilst Sesshomaru did not even blink. "I could have kept you as a full demon," the Demon Lord stated impassively, eyes never leaving his, thought his hand bled down Tetsusaiga's blade. "That creature was both docile and ferocious. It yearns for me, craves my dominance and honestly submits without question…But I drew your blood with the Tenseiga, and made it so you would never become that monster again. I saved your soul because _that_ is what matters to me most, not the pup or anything else…"

Inuyasha blinked. Was it true? It took his mind a few silent moments to process those words. His eyes welled with glassiness without his permission and he blinked again to try and alleviate the emotion from the golden depths.

"But if you doubt me, Little Brother," Sesshomaru continued at last, after an awkward eternity, "if you still doubt me, use the Tetsusaiga on me, I will not resist. His grip clenched tighter around the blood to prove the point, and Inuyasha watched it, watched his blood staining the blade.  
"Stop it!" Inuyasha shouted. "Sesshomaru stop!" When his brother didn't let go he dropped the sword.

A moment scarcely passed before Inuyasha stepped towards him capturing the injured hand by the wrist as he swallowed his pride, and in an effort to make amends, pressed his body to his brother's. Looking briefly up at Sesshomaru he flicked his tongue over the wounded fingers, licking the blood from them slowly. He felt the Demon encircle his body with his free arm, as if in encouragement, and Inuyasha closed his eyes, healing his brother's wounds with his mouth, the same as had been done for him countless times before.

Once his brother's hand was released, it tilted his chin upwards, and the Demon stared down into his face, as if considering his expression, before leaning down to clean his Baby brother's face of his own blood. Inuyasha's insides clenched. He was trying…trying very hard to apologise…but he was never very good at it, and scarcely did it right…

"I guess…I'm sorry," Inuyasha managed out awkwardly, and his brother drew back to look at him. "I didn't realise you were suffering as well, I didn't even stop to think…" he paused, growling under his breath at the awkward flush rising to his cheeks at trying to force out an apology. "And for what it's worth, I'm, grateful…for what you've done for me in the last few months – well most of it anyway."

If he was not mistaken, he could have sworn he saw Sesshomaru roll his eyes just then, before sighing softly, pulling him even closer than before. "Do you trust me, Inuyasha?" he asked suddenly, and the Half-demon frowned, though nodded cautiously. "Then submit," he ordered. Those eyes were staring into him again, and Inuyasha inhaled slowly. Had he ever submitted to Sesshomaru – to anyone outside of the bedroom? No, not in his memory, but here was his brother, asking him to do so, asking as politely as his instincts knew how, instead of forcing it with rough attentions. It was a sin against himself to submit, but it was wrong to refuse his mate – the forever subdued demon within begged an answer to the question, which was more important to him right now?

Slowly, warily, he tipped his head to the side, exposing the left of his throat to the surveying creature. Sesshomaru leant down to him inhaling deeply. "You smell of me again…" he murmured, and Inuyasha did not have to wonder if his brother was pleased about that or not. "Close your eyes," Sesshomaru said, and Inuyasha hesitantly did so.

He felt as if the world were moving around him – and fast, but he didn't open his eyes. Even as he felt the oddly strong pull of gravity, and his feet suddenly collided again with the ground none-too gently. It was the sudden impact that left him barely able to stand that caused his eyes to open. Sesshomaru was still watching him - impassive as ever, as if nothing had been said moments before. The Demon drew back from him, pressing the Tetsusaiga (which he had evidently picked up at some point) into his hand, before turning, and Inuyasha realised what had happened when his eyes were closed.

He had heard that his brother could do this, but he had never seen it put in action, not really anyway. He moved forwards, and settled his exhausted body on the side of the bed as he stared around, relieved at finally being able to take in the sight of his and Sesshomaru's chambers once more. He stared blankly at the floor. He was so tired all of a sudden, and his head felt heavy on his shoulders. Slowly he stood, though did not rid himself of his brother's borrowed kimono, not able to bring himself to do so…

That pitiful fear drew the Demon Lord forward, until clawed fingers traced over his younger sibling's shoulders carefully. The Half-demon did not cringe at the touch, but he evidently did not relish in it either. "Inuyasha," Sesshomaru murmured, his voice a coarse, husky growl that caused those half-demon ears to slick back into silvery hair. His hands shifted, attempting to draw the kimono with it from Inuyasha's shoulders, but Inuyasha's hand over his stopped him. He didn't speak, that was how much Hikireimaru's touch had changed him, but those eyes spoke for him, the eyes that stared into his own golden pools, attempting to drown himself in his eyes it seemed, rather than face what lay ahead. Inuyasha…he just seemed so tired, of everything.

Regardless of the hands that tried to stop him, Sesshomaru guided the silk from those shoulders, so that the material fell fluidly to the floor. He watched Inuyasha cringe. Inuyasha hated being 'seduced', being 'romanced', for every persuasive touch reminded him of his position in this relationship. It was a fault of his lack of a proper demonic upbringing, that he assumed submission came forth with his weakness, that it meant he was being overpowered…

Sesshomaru pushed his brother to the bed roughly, ignoring the way the smaller frame attempted to scramble out from under him, before meshing his lips with the ones laying so temptingly below. How very wrong Inuyasha's idea of their 'relationship' was…

Suddenly a furious cry tore through the air and Inuyasha threw him off him. The Demon Lord blinked, and the Half-demon pounced, staring down at him with such passion and anger dwelling in his golden soul that he did not move. Inuyasha growled again, a feral sound that grated against that slender throat, but he descended, forcing a willing kiss from the older demon's all too eager lips.

The Demon's hand ran down his back slowly, eliciting prickling jolts of static pleasure, that made his body arc forwards. He felt Sesshomaru smile against the kiss, and he drew back, considering his brother's unusually breathless expression. "You let me…" Inuyasha said, evidently confused. Sesshomaru smirked.  
"You were surprised at the results of your little experiment?" He punctuated his point by tapping the mark at his mate's throat gently. "I do not need _this_ to tell me what has been bothering you about…'us'…ever since the first time I touched you in an intimate manner…" He watched a beautiful scarlet blush dust the boy's pale cheeks, relishing in its presence before continuing. "I see that it took this audacious manoeuvre for you to realise…"

Inuyasha frowned when his brother did not complete his statement, and sat back slightly. "Realise what?"  
"That you are not the one who is being overpowered." Sesshomaru could not believe such words had left his lips. To openly admit such a weakness, was that not the initial event in each of his relative's lives that began their erratic descent into the twisted coils of despair? For the first time since adulthood, Sesshomaru swallowed hard in nervousness.

Suddenly the door swung open. Inuyasha rolled sideways onto the floor behind the bed, scrambling into some form of clothing as Rin charged into the room. "Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Inuyasha!" she cried out, beaming warmly at her Lord before turning to the crumpled (though clothed) mass that was Inuyasha. "We were so worried. Nannami-sensei told Takara-san to send help but Takara-san would not-"  
"-Forgive me, Sire!" Announced Takara as he stumbled breathlessly into the room, Nannami in tow, "I attempted to stop their entry but it seemed they found a way around me." Takara watched his Lord carefully, but it was evident in the unworried look to his kind features, that he knew his Lord too well to suspect for one moment that Rin would _ever_ be punished, much less for bursting into his room when she was concerned for his welfare.

Inuyasha gathered himself to his feet slowly, staring at each of the anxious faces in turn, before coming to rest on the face of the person that stood shyly beside Rin. Inuyasha permitted a smile to twitch at the corners of his mouth. "Nice to see you here, Kazuki," he said, and the boy bowed low at his words. Inuyasha snorted. "Keep your damn nose off the floor," he scolded, stalking forwards and forcing the demon child to stand upright. "If you bow to me again I'll make sure you damn well don't get up next time." He had meant the words as a teasing assurance that there was no need for formalities, though no sooner had the words left his lips than he sensed his mistake. Luckily the boy had seen the smile that dwelt behind those words, and he smiled nervously back.

"Now you have seen them, Rin, let us resume your lessons," Nannami said sternly, offering the briefest of smiles to Inuyasha before steering the human girl from the room carefully. Takara looked to Sesshomaru for instruction, and the Demon Lord rose to his feet. "I would have you call Ayane here, Takara," Sesshomaru began, all emotion once again absent from his voice as if it had never been. "For the purpose of some further maternal clothing for Inuyasha, and for some new apparel for our…new addition…" One might have assumed he'd meant the pup, but those in the room knew he meant otherwise.

"Oh, no, Lord Sesshomaru!" Kazuki gasped desperately, "Please, you have already done so much for me, I could not ask for anything further, I-" He was cut off with a mere look. That very same that had promised and resulted in the deaths of so many. He all-but flinched at Sesshomaru's stare.  
"Kazuki," he began, unease weighing heavily in the atmosphere, and the Demon Lord watched as the child gnawed his lip agitatedly. "I think that…lilac would suit you."

Kazuki blinked once. Twice. Inuyasha was just as stunned briefly before rolling his eyes at his brother's odd sense of humour. People certainly didn't fall for Sesshomaru because of the giggles…

"We will leave you in peace, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said, "I will return shortly with some food for you, you must be starved."  
"No, wait," Inuyasha started, as if just recalling something he was meant to do, "err, Kazuki, would you wait behind a little?" He watched the boy frown, but the child nodded without hesitation, a worried look flickering in his crimson eyes.  
"Of course, My Lord."

Inuyasha sighed, falling back onto the edge of the bed in exhaustion. "Don't call me 'Lord', its not my title…It's not who I am… If you want me to answer just call me 'Inuyasha', you got that kid?" He saw Kazuki nod once more, a little blush dusting the boy's cheeks. Inuyasha sighed once more. This boy's soul, his heart…it seemed so fragile and yet so durable in the same instance. This child was so much like him it almost hurt to look in his eyes, because he knew exactly what pain lingered behind them…

He had hoped when he had saved Kazuki, that he would have had a chance to talk to him after he woke up, but this was yet another thing that Hikireimaru had altered. He scratched the back of his neck in impatience at his inability to voice his emotions. At the moment, he was everything this boy had, and after years of lonely silence, he needed someone to talk to, someone to tell him everything would be okay. Despite outward appearances, the Half-demon knew exactly what this child needed, though being who he was, did not relish in the idea of baring such vibrant affection - it made a man vulnerable...

"I want you to have a fresh start here," Inuyasha said at last, avoiding the boy's eyes, "everything that's happened to you – forget about it, it'll drag you down, make you weak, it'll destroy you. You have to let everything go…" He stood abruptly, manoeuvring round the boy to the nearby drawer, and beginning to rummage through.  
"I understand Sire – I mean…Inuyasha. I will try."  
"Keh," Inuyasha murmured, "you'll do more than try, you're with us now, not that bastard Shigehira. He's too shit-scared of Sesshomaru to do anything…you're free now."

Crimson eyes glazed over with glassy tears that unnerved the Half-demon that turned to face him. "Well, as free as possible…I guess in this place you have to learn…well, you'll take lessons with Rin, I suppose since she and you are…"  
"Both your wards?" Kazuki asked, and Inuyasha nodded awkwardly. "Is it inappropriate to say such things, Inuyasha?"  
"Don't be an idiot," he retorted sharply, "I just haven't had to worry about anyone but myself for a while is all." He saw Kazuki cock his head slightly, almost sweetly – if men were permitted to think such things in any case.  
"But with the pup, will you not have to care about it?" Kazuki asked, not realising what a dilemma it was causing his new substitute parent. Inuyasha's brow furrowed.  
"You sure know a lot for a stupid kid, don't ya?" He was glad to see Kazuki smile at his words, as it meant that he was swiftly adjusting to his brush-off attitude which, he had long ago realised would probably never leave him entirely. "Here…"

Inuyasha's arm outstretched and he dropped a small vial into Kazuki's hand, the crystal container holding colourless liquid. The Demon child blinked at him in confusion. "Do you wanna start again and have the life you were supposed to?" Inuyasha asked quietly. For a moment everything was still, all was silent, until Kazuki tipped his head in a small nod. Inuyasha watched him carefully before venturing speech again. "And you intend to do that whilst still holding the bond with that evil bastard Shigehira?"

Kazuki's hopefulness fell, his gaze tumbling to the ground along with it. "I know that he will make me suffer through it…and that there is nothing I can do, but…" He was cut off as Inuyasha stepped forward, clawed fingers closing the little Demon's hand around the vial swiftly, as if afraid of touching him.  
"That's where you're wrong," he said, turning and setting himself back down on the bed once more, leaving Kazuki in the centre of the room, still unsure of what he had meant. "Pour that on your mark, and you won't have to worry about that anymore…"

For some reason Kazuki flushed at his words, apparently finding something incredibly interesting about the floor beneath his nervously shuffling toes. "You do know what a _mark_ is, right?" Inuyasha asked, tilting his head to the side slightly to bear the scar of his brother's teeth marks at his throat. "Where the guy bit you…" Suddenly it dawned on him, and he could have smacked himself in the head for not seeing it sooner. "Where did he mark you?" He watched the boy blush even darker, and gesture vaguely downwards. "Oh…" he mumbled uncomfortably, "hey, look, just take it…I don't need it anymore… I don't…I don't need it, honestly." He concluded by dropping his weary body completely down onto the sheets, sighing heavily as he stared up at the canopy above.

Kazuki smiled, nodding as he headed towards the door, the vial still in hand as he opened it, pausing in the doorway. "Goodnight, Inuyasha," he said, before heading out into the hallway. Moving away from the door he jumped as he nearly collided into the Demon Lord's chest. Sesshomaru raised a brow as be stared down at his horrified expression.

"Your fear is needless," he growled monotonously, "do you imagine I would eat you, or some such other nonsense?" He watched Kazuki shake his head determinedly. "Indeed… Regardless, your room is down the hall, third on the left."  
"My – my room?" he asked, eyes wide, reminding Sesshomaru so painfully of Inuyasha. The Demon Lord merely nodded, opening the door to his chambers. "If there is anything you require, Takara's room is beside yours, do not hesitate to ask him for anything," he said, his own way of bidding the child goodnight, as he closed the door behind him.

Sesshomaru turned to face the room, gaze softening as it fell upon the form lying on the bed. He approached slowly, his treacherous heart thudded softly in his chest at the sight of the evidently slumbering form lying there, so temptingly innocent. The ordeal must have left him tired if he had fallen into a doze so quickly.

He sighed heavily tapered fingers stroking silver hair gently from those sleeping features, The boy shifted and he felt the pull of this creature's gravity draw him in. Sliding onto the bed he sat behind him, claws grazing thoughtfully over silver puppy ears that flickered absently under his touch.

He wondered if their pup would have those ears, but wondered even more if he _liked_ the idea or not…

"You just gonna sit there and watch me forever?"

Sesshomaru smirked, he leant forwards, and their lips slid together, his tongue stealing inside to taste the Half-demon's mouth. But Inuyasha didn't respond. Drawing back the Demon licked the taste from his lips before staring down at him, concern ebbing at his features. "Did he taste your mouth?" he asked dangerously. Inuyasha sighed, shaking his head in response.  
"No…" he murmured, "I didn't let him…"

A growl rumbled in the back of the Demon's throat. "What else did he do to you?"

Inuyasha sneered, turning his head away. "I don't wanna talk about it…" He growled, flinching at the initial touch that drew his head into the Demon Lord's lap. His heart hammered in his chest, he felt trapped, he felt those touches slip over his all-too vulnerable skin. An uneasy shiver caressed his body.

"We should truly begin to consider names for the pup," Sesshomaru said suddenly, breaking the silence and changing the subject. Inuyasha snorted at that.  
"Yeah, like I'm anywhere near _literate_ enough to think of names that you'll approve of," he murmured dejectedly. Sesshomaru tensed a little at the sound of that emotion in his voice.  
"Do not be ridiculous," he retorted. A small smirk flickered onto his lips. "You seem to enjoy the company of trees so much – why not call the child Itsuki?" His smile broadened slightly as Inuyasha punched him in response to his sarcastic teasing. Though that brief elated happiness swiftly dissipated, falling away into that horrible sadness once more.

"Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha asked carefully, his voice sounding not at all like his own. "What if this thing…" he gestured vaguely to his stomach, worrying his lower lip between his fangs. "What if I can't take care of it?"  
"What…?"  
"If I can't even stop Hikireimaru from taking me – if I had to damn wait for _you_ to come get me then what kind of…of _parent_ am I gonna be? How can I look after a kid if I can't look after myself?"

That dreaded silence fell again, and this time Sesshomaru could not think of a way to escape it. What was he supposed to say to assure Inuyasha he would be fine? What was this boy expecting him to do to rid his face of that distressed expression? Was there any way to achieve this goal whilst keeping his indifferent façade?

His hand stretched out, tracing the soft line of his brother's jaw, and drawing him upwards against his body. "You protected Kazuki, did you not?" Sesshomaru replied quietly. Inuyasha shrugged awkwardly. "If you could do something like that…" he paused, leaning down to capture a downy ear in his mouth. He felt Inuyasha flush as his hot breath steamed into the shell of his ear.

Inuyasha gasped, claws clinging to his brother's chest without realising. Saliva coated his ear as those arms encircled him, pressing down on the small of his back so that their embrace tightened. He heard Sesshomaru's mouth sucking the flushed appendage and that only made him lean further in.

"What is so dreadfully terrible about me taking care of you…?" the Demon Lord breathed and Inuyasha remained silent, pressing his head under his brother's chin, eyes fluttering closed. He couldn't answer, because he didn't know the answer himself. Tilting his head up he nipped his brother's throat swiftly, fighting against the sleep that was trying to take him once more. "If you wish to sleep, do so…"

Inuyasha shook his head softly. "I can't sleep…"  
"Why?"  
"I don't know where I'll wake up…" He felt ridiculous for saying such things, but it did not change the fact that it was how he felt. Sesshomaru's fingers traced his mark at his neck, humming almost inaudibly.  
"I am afraid you will wake up with me every morning for the rest of your life…" he murmured, a hint of teasing in his voice. "Will that do?" He felt Inuyasha smile against his skin, and it provoked one from his own lips. Inuyasha wasn't okay, but he was a live, and he was safe…

~To Be Continued...

Translation:  
_Itsuki_ - Ah, well it means tree basically, that was the joke that Sesshomaru made that was bloody awful lmao.

A/N: I hope you appreciate the little flashback to Sesshomaru's POV when he was looking for Inuyasha, since some of you were wondering why Sesshomaru didnt sense Inuyasha's fear and go find him when Hikireimaru took him. SO there it is ^_^ Plus you guys seem to like a befuzzled Sesshomaru XD You meanies lmao.

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	26. Upon A Bleeding Tree

**Chapter Twenty-Six  
Upon A Bleeding Tree**

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Slender fingers weaved through ebony tresses, an idle, dulcet tune sounding in the back of the woman's throat as she leisurely dried the hair that hung over her shoulder. The kimono she wore clung to wet skin, her family, those she saw every day…they would call her vile for looking this way, brand her a whore, for being different…for holding no hatred for anything in the world around her. Not even the cold winter nights did she dislike. Especially not those nights… Where the stars' glow were not all that warmed her bed, in those secret, forbidden meetings…

Those she held dear, they didn't know her at all… A Princess? She wasn't meant for such a title. She would have much preferred to be one of the free spirits of the village, unburdened by her family's gaze and expectations. Lord Takemaru? Her fiancée? How could that be so? She held no regard for that man other than a civil one.

For that moment she stopped, staring down at her damp form. That man…the thought of him touching her body made her cringe, but that was not what frightened her the most. Of course a princess should not know nor think of such forbidden secrets of passion, but that was part of her problem…she _did_ know, and if she did not escape from the engagement to Takemaru soon, he would know that he was not the first as well… She would be killed for such a 'sin', but that was not her biggest concern either…

Suddenly the shadows of the surrounding trees shifted, and she held the flimsy cloth of her kimono around her a little tighter. "Dearest?" she asked to the darkness of the starlit evening. The shadow moved, but she could not see what it was that lingered there. Her heart thudded in her chest. She swallowed hard, getting slowly to her feet. "Who is there?" She stepped closer. "Hello?"

The shadows leapt at her. A ravenous cry followed and she stumbled back, wincing in pain. Disorientation followed, sending her vulnerable body into tremors. She turned to see fangs leaking the blood of its previous meal onto the ground beneath. The beast's ominous eyes sized her up, scanning her form as if deciding which part it would devour first. A piercing howl tore through the air as it darted forwards. Movement brushed past her, as swift and light as if it were merely the wind. A single hair fell from her head, caught by the blade that was at her side, the blade that had plunged into the beast's chest.

She inhaled shakily. A hand rested on her shoulder, turning her into the warmth of the chest behind her. That embrace drew her in, and safety followed as those hands stroked over her quivering skin. "Perhaps we should cease meeting in such a dangerous place, My Izayoi."

Dark, glassy orbs stared up into the golden pools above. They searched her soul in ways no one cared to. They adored her, they protected her, they _knew_ her, in the way no one else bothered to know her…

"I am fine." Her hand fell to her stomach, where it met his larger hand. "He is fine too." She smiled, and the stars paled in comparison to its brightness, which roused a similar expression from the Demon Lord. "We must always meet here, it is where we met, where we came to know each other… Dearest this is where everything has happened between us."

The Demon surveyed the spring, recalling those events. So many times they'd met since then. He could recall promising himself each time would be the last – at first, when Sesshomaru had asked him not to come to see her anymore, he (Inu-no-Taishou) had truthfully decided to leave her…a fling with a human was not as important as his child…that was until…this 'fling' became the love of his life…

His lips caressed the princess's forehead, and he felt her breath flutter against his neck. And her family thought that betrothing her to Takemaru would rid them of his relationship with Izayoi? Did they think that when their half-demon child was born, it would be easily concealed as Takemaru's son? Such a foolish assumption…He had foreseen things concerning this infant, and he knew it would be as beautiful and powerful as it would be cursed…

Did those humans honestly believe he would step away from her and the child in order to preserve his love's honour? He would do no such thing. What was honourable about letting the woman who was all-but his mate lie with, serve and obey another man like some servant, while his son crawled around at that demon hunter's feet and used his precious half-demon lips to call that human 'father'? That was revolting…not honourable. It was even more revolting that Sesshomaru had supported the humans' idea. His son spoke in testimony of his (Inu-no-Taishou's) honour. 'Honourable ruler', they called him that, but he would throw that all away for her, for Sesshomaru, for this new unborn life…

He sighed at the thought. Sesshomaru…recently his eyes had become constantly glazed over with a disturbingly cold, stern look, but one day he knew his son would realise that honour, the West, the title…they were not as important as some things… The things that his own father had lost his life to, and the things that Inu-no-Taishou now held in his arms. He stared down at his pregnant lover with soft eyes. He knew he would die for this woman and this child, he could sense it. It was that feeling… His father had warned him, of the feeling that would overcome him, the feeling which took his life. This was it, he was sure…he loved Izayoi too much. He smiled warmly at her, stroking her stomach softly. The thought had been lingering at the back of his mind for some time now, though the only thing that concerned him was that Sesshomaru wasn't ready.

The newborn would have Izayoi for a short time, but Sesshomaru wouldn't have anyone. Takara and Nannami would watch over him, but the young demon…he was still a boy… He tilted his gaze to the heavens. Sesshomaru would have so much to take on, so much to worry about, and he wondered if when the time came for his life to end, his eldest would be ready to take over. The West, it was difficult to manage but his boy had learnt long ago how to deal with the lands and the responsibilities that came with them. It was the emotions that would soon swamp his child's mind that concerned him.

He sighed, pulling Izayoi tighter, before looking to the side, where a glint of gold caught his eye. "Izayoi, lay the blanket down, I will return shortly. She smiled, turning to obey his command as he approached the trees and disappeared into the dark.

"You have followed me here every night since the first time, my son." He watched Sesshomaru's careless gaze flicker to Izayoi, a look of utmost contempt in his features.  
"How despicable that my father should forgo time with his own flesh and blood for the company of a human whore…" His father's anger flared, but it did not show. He offered him a glance. He knew to test his sire's patience; this was where he would learn it from in years to come. But his father never struck him in order to make him repent for those words, and that was what confused him the most. He hated being confused.

"You stay and watch until the embraces become less innocent, then you depart…why?" The Demon Lord asked. His son regarded him with embarrassed anger.  
"Demons may find it acceptable but my love for my sire is platonic not romantic, and the thought of such a thing with you makes me sick." He sneered at his father's smile.  
"I did not mean that, son-"  
"-Stop calling me by that name, I am Sesshomaru, not a pining brat of your first whore."  
"Your mother was not a whore, Sesshomaru, do not use that word so hastily-"  
"-What more was she if she warmed your bed and bore me only to leave. That is all she did, therefore she is not deserving of higher rank." He threw Izayoi a further disgusted look. "How is this human any different? She warms your bed, she will give you a half-breed mongrel-"  
"-She will give you a brother," Inu-no-Taishou corrected quietly, but his calmness only angered his son more.  
"No half-demon will be acknowledged as _my_ brother! What is wrong with me? Why am I not enough? I have become everything you wanted in a son – and since you met this woman I have worked harder, I have trained and studied…I dare even _you_ to say you know more of these lands than I. What more must I do to be the most important person to you?"

It would be the first and last time Sesshomaru would speak so openly. Had he known this, the Demon Lord would have probably taken more advantage of that openness, but every old man made his mistakes. How was he to know that this boy would walk away from tonight and fall into the quiet solace of his own mind, without so much as a backward glance at his old self?

"You are…the most precious…" The Demon Lord answered, and Sesshomaru turned away.  
"You liar. I see your gaze when it falls upon that unborn abomination…You love her and that mongrel, and that means you are going to die-"  
"-I would rather die for her, for you and your brother than for my lands – for _politics_… I would rather burn than see one of you suffer. You are _all_ my most precious – the closest to me. And you have yet to answer my question…" he allowed his words to wash over the young demon's senses briefly before he continued. "Why do you watch me with Izayoi?"

Sesshomaru sneered once more, turning from his father. "I wished to see what love looked like…I wished to see what there was about it that was worth dying for…" His still youthful eyes looked over his father once more. "I asked you not to see her again…but you desire that I care for her and your bastard when this love destroys you, do you not?" He watched his father nod, and he turned away. "Love your half-breed? How perfectly preposterous. I would not consider it as my lapdog – much less my family…"

A sad smile flickered over the Demon Lord's lips, and he shook his head slowly. "You will love your brother, Sesshomaru; you will not be able to help yourself-"  
"-I…" Sesshomaru began quietly, his back to his father still. "I love no one…it is a futile emotion…I will not lose my life to it. I will not lose my power to it as you and Grandfather did. You may die if you wish, but I will not do something so ridiculous…"

The Demon Lord watched as Sesshomaru's form slid into the shadows, a heavy weight tugging at his heart. "When you hold your brother, you will see…you will not be able to resist loving him…" he said softly, still smiling.

"But what about after? How did Lord Inu-no-Taishou die?" Kazuki asked, crimson eyes wide with apprehension.  
"What happened to Lady Izayoi?" Rin questioned. Nannami smiled at her pupils.  
"You ask me every time – I always tell you this story yet you act as if you have no idea what happened next? Not very good at history are we?" The two children looked embarrassed, whilst the demoness smiled once more.  
"It is just different every time you tell it Nannami-sensei, like a real story," Rin murmured quietly.  
"Indeed, and what happens next – Kazuki?"

The little Demon's eyes widened slightly. It appeared that he was still shocked him to be addressed with kindness and smiles, but that was something that a mere few weeks within the castle walls had not erased from his mind. "Lady Izayoi gave birth to Lord Inuyasha," he replied, "but Takemaru tried to kill them. Lord Inu-no-Taishou revived Lady Izayoi with the Tenseiga, but he still died in the human palace along with Takemaru of Setsuna."  
"Very good, Kazuki," Nannami praised, pushing the bowl of sweet rewards to him, in a signal for him to take one, "you will soon catch up with Rin if you keep this hard work up."

"Is this story really necessary for their history lesson?"

The three looked over to the shoji screen which lay open and an all-too pregnant Inuyasha (dressed in a light kimono to keep him cool in the abrupt summer weather) stood in the doorway. A blush dusted his cheeks. "Why do you tell them it as if it's a story?" he asked, ignoring the way the two children's eyes never left his stomach.  
"Because history _is_ a story, Lord Inuyasha," Nannami answered with a coy smile, "if you tell it as it happened, with emotion and feeling, the student will remember it more clearly."  
"Keh," Inuyasha mumbled, apparently finding something very interesting on the floor beneath his shuffling feet – which Sesshomaru had permitted him to keep bare. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pick I just…" he growled in irritation at the emotions gathering in his chest, he hated this part of being pregnant the most – the emotional part. "You just tell it the way my mother used to is all…"

A few weeks had passed since he had returned here, and though he had pushed Hikireimaru from his thoughts momentarily, other things had reached the forefront of his mind in his place. The Midsummer's eve gathering, the approaching birth…his mother. He despised such weakness. Human females yearned for their mother sometimes during pregnancy, but he was neither human nor female, so this hardly remained an excuse. Every bump in the road in this pregnancy, he had considered the worst, but this, he believed was definitely the worst part. He had always missed his mother, but recently everything seemed to be reminding him painfully of her, and his hormones were refusing to let him push that hurt aside as he had done most of his adult life…

He was drawn back from his dazed anxiety by a soft, fluttering touch over his shoulder-blades. Turning slightly, his eyes met those of the Demon Lord, who had glided to his side. "You called me?"

Inuyasha flushed, turning his gaze to the floor. He kept forgetting how he called out unintentionally through their mark when he was stressed or upset. "Keh, just couldn't be bothered to go looking for ya," he growled indignantly, frowning at his brother's knowing smirk.  
"Regardless," The older brother murmured, twisting his mate's pregnant body carefully so that he faced the door once more, "Ayane waits in our chambers for you, she will be fitting your new kimono for the Midsummer's eve Gathering tonight." He ignored Inuyasha growling lowly under his breath, as he steered him out of the room and into the hall.

"Kazuki seems to be fitting in well with Rin," Sesshomaru said matter-of-factly, studying his brother's pensive expression carefully as they walked.  
"Yeah…"  
"In truth he has settled in with everyone," he pressed, struggling to receive any kind of response from his brother. The Half-demon finally met his brother's eyes with an irritated stare.  
"Why do I get the impression that Kazuki isn't what you wanna talk about?"  
"Because you are becoming quite perceptive, Little Brother," Sesshomaru answered with an almost teasing smirk that drew a sigh from his sibling's lips. A questioning glare reached him then, signalling that his pregnant mate was having one of those days and that he would have to tread lightly around him – he was in no mood for an argument, not today, there was too much going on as it was already.

"You have been emitting strange vibes lately…is it due to the approach of the gathering?" The Demon asked, but Inuyasha shook his head.  
"Keh, no, what do I care about a room filled of stuck-up snot-rags?" He watched Sesshomaru smirk at that, and a short, uncomfortable silence briefly fell. Inuyasha's tongue swiped over his dry lips, before he ventured towards speech once more. "Just had a lot to think about, with the…the _birth_ not so long away…" He flinched as an arm slithered around his waist, turning him into his brother's chest slowly, until he was staring up into that oddly warm gaze.

"Rest assured, you are not the only one that is concerned over that matter…but it will be fine-"  
"-It's not just the birth itself," Inuyasha interrupted with an awkward flush. He despised being treated like a girl by the brother that pressed ever-closer, before pinning him against the closed door behind them. "I've just been thinking a lot about…" the Half-demon trailed off and his fangs grinded together in irritation at finding it so hard to say the words without sounding completely ridiculous.

"You speak of your concerns regarding your mother, do you not, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru watched his brother's eyes widen. "It is no surprise, Inuyasha; females experience a need or connection to their mothers during this time, I see not why it should be different for you-"  
"-Because I'm a guy! Not a girl!"  
"Indeed, I had deduced that much myself…"  
"Stop being a prick Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha shouted, shoving roughly at his brother's chest in an attempt to push him away. "I just miss her is all! Don't you ever miss yours?" Inuyasha saw Sesshomaru blink once, as if vaguely contemplating the notion.

"No," he said quite simply, "she was not deserving of such a thing. I saw your mother more times than my own in my lifetime." Inuyasha snorted at that.  
"Figures you'd have mother issues as well as everything else… No wonder you're so complacent all the time, if you let your emotions out like the rest of us do your whole _brain_ would explode with how screwed up you are!" It was proof of how much his brother had changed in the last few weeks that the smirk he now offered was not a glare that promised death. Sesshomaru was in far too good a mood recently, it was beginning to be a little disturbing…

"Inuyasha," the Demon Lord murmured huskily, quite serious, "It is only natural, after you have suppressed your grieving for so long, that it would overcome you now, when you are at your most vulnerable…"  
"Stop calling me vulnerable – I'm the one within punching distance of your dick!"  
"Now who is being ridiculous?" Sesshomaru growled softly. Leaning forwards, he tilted Inuyasha's head to the side carefully and flicked his tongue over the iridescent mark at his neck affectionately, before drawing back. "If it would please you (and if the pup is female) you may name her after your mother?" he suggested, surprised when Inuyasha almost immediately shook his head in response.  
"Whatever it is, I don't want to call it after her…it'd just be really…I wouldn't be able to say it without feeling weird…" He trailed off, raising his eyes to his brother's gaze once more, realising what the Demon Lord had meant in that sentiment. "Thanks for the offer though – since I know you had issues with my mother…"  
"Indeed," Sesshomaru responded, shoving the door behind them open and manoeuvring Inuyasha inside their chambers swiftly, where a beaming face greeted them.

"No need to be so abrupt with all these movements!" Inuyasha reprimanded, swatting away his brother's hands, "you scare the crap outta me when you move that quick!"

Sesshomaru smirked, setting down on the side of the bed and watching his mate distractedly, whilst Inuyasha smiled shyly at the beaming girl they had found in the room.

"Good day, Lord Inuyasha," Ayane greeted him, fiddling with the material in her grasp, and the Half-demon mumbled something similar in response. "I have fitted Rin, Kazuki and Lord Sesshomaru's with a dress-kimono for tonight's gathering; would it suit if I did yours for you now?"  
"Keh, whatever…" he grumbled, shrugging slightly.

The girl smiled knowingly. Though Inuyasha tried to put the fact out of his mind, everyone knew that Hikireimaru had taken him, and anyone could guess what had happened whilst he was there. The girl skittishly beckoned him to the centre of the room, evidently all-too aware of the Demon Lord's gaze, making her fearful to approach Inuyasha on her own in case she upset him – upsetting him being something which was far too easily done nowadays.

Inuyasha cast an uneasy glance back to Sesshomaru as Ayane stood before him, sighing uneasily as he turned with his back to the girl, pushing his kimono from his shoulders and swiftly pulling the new one on. Returning to face the female demon, he watched her smile warmly at the way the kimono hung baggily off him, and Inuyasha blushed.

"I know I'm a fat-ass but I'm not this huge," he grumbled indignantly.  
"Not at all, Sire," she replied, "Lord Sesshomaru asked that I make it loose-fitting for your comfort, so I have left it bigger so that I could take it in now to suit your body." Her words did not diffuse the blush that had spread across the bridge of his nose, although he could have sworn he saw Sesshomaru smile from where he sat on the edge of the bed - the Demon still watching him carefully.

The girl set to work pinning the fabric to fit it to his body better and Inuyasha remained there awkwardly, not used to standing still so long. The silence cut across the room, falling stale, and he shifted on his feet as the boredom settled in. He sighed audibly. "How much longer is this gonna take?" He griped. The girl smiled up at him.  
"These things take time, Young Sire," she murmured, startled by the sharp kick against her hand from the little demon in Inuyasha's stomach. She flinched, staring between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha swiftly, as if she had done something wrong.

"The pup has been more restless lately," Sesshomaru assured her, watching her become at ease once again.  
"Yeah," Inuyasha growled under his breath, "It's 'cause there no more damn room in there…gods how big is this little shit gonna get?"  
"Do not use language like that in connection with our pup; it is unfitting of a mother-"  
"-I'm not a damn mother!" Inuyasha retorted, making Ayane struggle not to laugh.  
"It appears I am not the only one with mother issues…" Sesshomaru watched as his brother's gaze snapped to him, and he instantly realised what he'd said was wrong.

"Inuyasha I-"  
"-Excuse me if I _loved_ my mother – you tried to kill yours didn't you?" He watched his brother shrug.  
"That is irrelevant…"  
"Exactly! And missing her has nothing to do with not wanting to be emasculated by being called 'mama' all the damn time!" He shouted, his fury rising. Ayane kept her head down quietly in an attempt to escape from the situation.  
"Not everything that troubles you is emasculating – what is so troubling about being beautiful, and cared for? Does it disturb you so much?" His brother asked stoically, never betraying so much as a fragment of the emotion he had expressed all those weeks ago, when they had first returned. Inuyasha sneered. "You have no idea you stinkin' prissy demon!"

Sesshomaru rose to his feet swiftly, his expression still devoid of emotion. "Ayane, you are finished?" He studied her incredulously. With a few final tugs at the thread she wielded, she nodded resolutely, and cutting the stray strand, she gathered herself to her feet.  
"Indeed Sire, it is done," she bowed low to both of them, before heading over to the door, "I will see you at the gathering, Lord Inuyasha."

The Half-demon nodded, barely registering her words as the girl closed the door on her way out, leaving the brothers quite alone in the tension hung about the room like thick layers of dust.

"I regret my words, Little Brother…it was callous of me to say such a thing… But regardless, I remain confused as to why you seem to have this misconception that by giving a little in order to receive, you are any less of a man." He frowned as Inuyasha turned from him, the Half-demon's frustration assaulting his senses. "Inuyasha, I-"  
"-Listen, just drop it. I know. I know it's stupid but I can't help how I feel dumb-ass..." The Half-demon shuddered as his brother's hand ghosted over his flesh through the kimono, and he turned swiftly to see the Demon standing behind him.

"And when I submit to you, do you feel me inferior to you? Any less of a man?" Sesshomaru asked, and his brother shook his head slowly, though looked thoughtful.  
"No…but you're not the one whose pregnant, the one that gets kidnapped and friggin' rescued all the time. You're not the uke all the time and…" He trailed off when long, tapered fingers caught his chin and that thumb flickered over his lips to silence him, before tugging at his bottom lip, parting them as the Demon's mouth descended upon his.

He tried to stifle the gasp but it escaped him nonetheless, a warm shiver caressing his skin. Damn this pup for making his body so sensitive, each movement of that tongue against his only reminded him of how long it had been since Sesshomaru had taken him. Since that first time, he had never gone so long without it, and it was starting to make his body react painfully every time he received even _innocent_ contact.

Sesshomaru's claws traced the silver tendrils at the sides of his face, drawing back from the kiss.  
"Damn you for turning me into a nymphomaniac…" Inuyasha growled with a smirk, one that his brother reciprocated.  
"Do not trouble yourself over such things…" The Demon Lord all-but purred, his gaze never leaving his brother's eyes. "You will not always feel this way; this is merely a natural phase, once the pregnancy is over you will return to your normal self…" He frowned when Inuyasha drew back from him a little, shaking off his attentions with awkward embarrassment gracing his features.  
"How'd you know I'll go back to who I was…I don't even know who I am anymore…" he murmured dejectedly. Sesshomaru followed his progress over to the window, where the Half-demon stared down into the sun-drenched courtyard below.

"I know," Sesshomaru continued, approaching him slowly, "I know, because when the time is right, I will let you be the seme, and you will see that this…" he snaked an arm round his mate's stomach, stroking softly despite the way the half-demon tried to shrug him off. "…is a futile worry." Inuyasha leant back into him a little, sighing heavily.  
"You've said that before…what makes you think that having my dick up your ass instead of the other way around will have such an impact on my life?" He asked with a half-smile. Sesshomaru struggled to withhold a small laugh. When had his brother's bluntness become amusing instead of irritating?  
"You're in too delicate of a condition to bring about my climax in such a manner… When we reach our first heat together, then I will let you…" he murmured in a nervously flickering ear.

Below under the sun, they could see Kazuki giving Rin a leg-up onto one of the trees, and the girl scrambled up into the branches with that same giddy smile crossing her features. For some reason, those two together could remind anyone of why the world was worth living. Was it just children that had that effect? Or was it happiness in general? Sesshomaru offered a small smile at the answerless questions that bombarded his mind.

"The guests will start arriving soon for the gathering, and though they are all too keen to meet you, I do not wish for you to be placed under that much stress right now."  
Inuyasha raised a brow.  
"You mean put the _pup_ under that much stress – am I right?"  
Sesshomaru smirked at that, pressing a kiss to his forehead before seizing Inuyasha's old kimono off the side and tossing it to him.  
"I meant you," he answered. "Now, change out of your dress kimono, you have a horrible habit of dirtying your clothing before the occasion they are required for."  
"Keh," Inuyasha grumbled, pulling off his new kimono carefully.

"And I would ask that you go down and watch over Kazuki and Rin," Sesshomaru said, "ensure you keep them away from the guests and out of trouble." He frowned as Inuyasha threw him another smirk.  
"You meant so that they can watch over me didn't you?"  
A smile flickered over the Demon's lips at his brother's words.

Inuyasha sighed heavily, feeling his brother's gaze at his back as he moved through the arch into the courtyard. He didn't have to look back through the arch to know that his brother was watching but he did nonetheless. Sunlight swamped the courtyard, and he felt its warmth greeting his flesh. Midsummer's eve was definitely here, it was evident from that heat and the subdued flicker of desperate arousal in his brother's eyes, but also from the hordes of guests (most in heat themselves) that poured into the foyer beyond the archway. Inuyasha turned as Sesshomaru began to greet the guests, the Half-demon making his way towards the two who dropped down from the branches of the tree upon seeing him approach.

Inuyasha smirked. As he reached them. "Looks like we gotta keep outta _Lord High and Mighty's_ way while the guests are arriving you two," Inuyasha murmured, dropping to the ground unceremoniously, and leaning back against the broad tree-trunk. It was something that the way that Kazuki and Rin sat around him, watching him with patient smiles did not unnerve him the way it once would have…perhaps not all changes to his character had been bad…

"Lord Sesshomaru said that Nannami-sensei will come tell us when to go get changed into our dress-clothes," Rin chirped, and Inuyasha sighed at the thought of having to wear his outfit in front of hundreds of judgemental, demon eyes later on that evening. He watched the dignitaries greet Sesshomaru and Takara distantly for a moment, before Kazuki caught his attention.

"Such a lot of people are coming to the gathering…" Kazuki murmured, and Inuyasha studied the boy's dejected composure thoughtfully. After all those years of being kept on a leash, so many people swarming in must have unnerved him. Inuyasha swallowed hard. That was another thing that he and Kazuki had in common.  
"Yes," Rin replied happily, "But do not worry, everyone is always very well behaved at these gatherings because there are people – Lords and Ladies, as well as Lord Sesshomaru who do not approve of disruptiveness."

Inuyasha and Kazuki shared a look, each knowing what the other was thinking – this evening was not going to be good…

Rin's attention turned to the incomplete flower-chain at the side that she had abandoned earlier – threading the remaining stems through together before turning to a stunned Kazuki. "Here, wear this," she beamed, dropping it around his head to hang about his neck. The boy flushed darkly, but did not speak as his gaze fell to the ground. Inuyasha smirked. It seemed there was another boy within the castle walls that could not resist giving Rin what she wanted; the girl had an inescapable charm about her, that worried him a little in prospect of a future, older Rin… That was an unnerving thought indeed, though if his assumption was correct, he had a feeling Kazuki would be all-too happy to be one of the (no doubt dozens) of suitors this girl would attract…

Inuyasha frowned suddenly as he felt the uneasy weight of someone's gaze on him. He stared around cautiously, but found no one there. He relaxed back into the tree slowly, closing his eyes as his arms crossed over his chest. Someone was watching him, he just knew it. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as a shiver caressed his flesh. The pup fidgeted roughly in his stomach, making him hiss slightly in discomfort.

"Is carrying when you are a male really that painful?"

Inuyasha frowned, opening his eyes at the unfamiliar female voice, to see a woman breaking away from the older demon that was occupied with greeting Sesshomaru and Takara. The Half-demon's back straightened a little as she approached, lengthy lilac locks complementing the kimono that fitted her slender figure. Inuyasha flushed slightly, looking away, a tinge of jealousy lingering as he caught Sesshomaru looking over briefly.

_This is ridiculous,_ he growled mentally,_ why the hell do I care if Sesshomaru stares at some girl's ass? _But he found himself all too quick to recall exactly why. Since when had he cared at all what Sesshomaru thought? _Oh right,_ he thought, _since I got to be the size of a house!_

"So you are Inuyasha," she purred spitefully, cold eyes scanning him as he struggled to his feet ungracefully and straightened himself up to retain what remained of his dignity. "You are hardly what I expected…"  
Inuyasha's eyes widened a little at what those words implied.  
"His half-brother and a half-demon," she continued, her lip curling back in badly hidden revulsion, "and…_you_ are his chosen? You are very…unexpected…"

Inuyasha growled low in his throat, Rin and Kazuki straightening a little at his side, though only the latter realising what was happening. On the verge of responding, the Half-demon watched as the demoness cast an odd glance back to where an oblivious Sesshomaru still stood, occupied with talking to the demon she had left. Inuyasha smirked.  
"Somethin' wrong with me?" he growled darkly, "Or perhaps just something wrong with the fact that guy you can't take your eyes off chose a half-breed over you?"

Inuyasha smirked broadly and the Demoness sneered. "How is Lord Sesshomaru coping with you carrying such a large weight so far into heat season? I suppose it must be hard on you having someone else relieve your mate's sexual tension?"  
Inuyasha pushed past Kazuki and Rin, whom he had noticed seemed to be gathered at his side in a subtle display of loyalty. "Sesshomaru doesn't need anyone else-"  
"Indeed, there seems to be more than enough of you to go round."

Fangs grated against each other in release of the white-hot fury that shot down his spine. It wasn't what she was saying – he had heard worse in his long life so far, it was what she wasn't saying that sent sharp currents of anger through his blood.

Kazuki glanced beyond Inuyasha and the arguing demoness. He swallowed hard before moving around them swiftly, speeding across the courtyard, stumbling up the steps and falling through the archway. He winced as he saw the ground coming to meet his face in almost slow-motion. A gasp tore free of his lips as something caught him round the middle. The little demon's crimson eyes widened upon scanning over the creature steadying him back on his feet. Takara and the others stared in surprised wonderment, it looked so odd – the Demon Lord of the West assisting a mere boy.

"Is something the matter, Kazuki?" Sesshomaru asked, as indifferent as ever. "Is Rin alright?"  
Kazuki nodded franticly, gasping for breath. "Yes," he panted, "Its Lord Inuyasha, Sire, that woman is-" He gave up on words, gesturing behind them where the sarcastic murmurs had turned to shouting. Sesshomaru straightened up a little more, evidently not pleased with what he saw (and heard).  
"I commend you for coming to fetch me – take Rin and have Nannami get you both changed for the ceremony. I will take care of Inuyasha…"

"Listen bitch," Inuyasha growled, feeling the pup kick him sharply for disrupting it, "Just who the fuck are you anyway?"  
"Inuyasha, that word is inappropriate," the Demon Lord's voice called from behind him.  
Inuyasha snorted at that, stepping back a little from the steaming demoness as Sesshomaru approached, coming to stand beside him. "Seemed pretty damn fitting if you ask me…" He watched his brother from the corner of his eye. Sesshomaru was looking at this girl again, but in a very different way.  
"Inuyasha, this is Lady Ran," Sesshomaru introduced, "Lady Ran, this is my mate, Lord Inuyasha."

Inuyasha glared at her, she was still watching him with that jealous disgust, and the Half-demon felt an arm loop around his waist, drawing him back against Sesshomaru's side. The Demon Lord never took his eyes off Ran. She _would_ understand…

"And I believe you have met her father, Lord Hachirou." Sesshomaru watched Inuyasha's eyes widen upon seeing an enraged Hachirou come to his daughter's side, and knew that his brother recalled this man all too clearly.

_"He is so precious to you? My Lord, I know he cannot mean anything more than a chamber servant…have him birth the pup then promise him to Hikireimaru – a used entrance is worthless in any case. He is useless to you once the pup is born. Why would you wish to bed something that has been so…misshapen by carrying this infant?"_

Yes, Inuyasha remembered those unprovoked, hurtful words so well, and a sneer reached his features as he regarded the pair of them.  
"I am so sorry, My Lords," Hachirou said, glaring at his daughter, "she is headstrong and rebellious, I apologise for her recklessness."

Sesshomaru nodded, steering Inuyasha off to the side slightly, a clawed hand raising to stroke back tendrils of silver hair softly. "I am sorry about that, Little Brother," the Demon Lord murmured, "I did not think that the news of our union would affect her in such a manner…"  
"Did you fuck her?" Inuyasha asked simply, staring blankly at something beyond Sesshomaru. The Demon Lord looked a little shocked.  
"She is a demoness, not a whore…"  
"You're a whore for sleeping with all those people before me," Inuyasha growled dangerously. His claws flexed, digging into his clenched palms, causing blood race down his skin and onto the ground below.

Sesshomaru sighed heavily, long fingers sliding down to stroke his mark adorning his hip gently. Inuyasha gasped, shuddering and feeling himself being shoved roughly back into the deserted hall. His back slammed roughly into the dark recesses of the wall beneath the staircase, out of sight – he hoped, as Sesshomaru pressed against him, pinning his arms above his head.  
"Se-Sesshomaru!"  
"Hush…" his brother hummed against his throat, tongue flickering over the iridescent scar that throbbed on his brother's neck. Inuyasha tossed his head, a strangled moan escaping his lips. He needed to cry out, he needed to scream, he hadn't been touched for so long, it felt too good…

A cry of negation escaped him as Sesshomaru's hot breath caressed his flesh, the Demon's mouth drawing away so that golden eyes could study his flushed expression. "You are so passionate today, Little Brother…"  
"That's…that's because I-"  
"Because…_what_?" Sesshomaru breathed, feeling the pup kick out harshly. He smirked, and leant forward to stroke his mate's stomach. Feeling the unborn infant within calm under his touch, he caught a flickering ear in his mouth and his tongue danced over it teasingly.  
"Gods…" Inuyasha moaned, "Oh my gods…" Harsh, frantic breaths tore from his lungs, he felt a certain tightness in his already tight-fitting clothes and his legs tensed together, trying to hide his arousal.

"You haven't had my touch for so long, is it unbearable?" He let rough, passionate kisses slide down Inuyasha's face, catching his lips briefly before latching onto his collarbone. He felt Inuyasha's body arc forwards, trying to lean in and pull away from his touch all at once. "Is it so delicious? Do you want it so badly?" Sesshomaru raised his leg between Inuyasha's, rubbing tauntingly, and his brother turned away, hands straining to be free, smothering his cries with his trapped arm to in an attempt to keep quiet...

-**scene censored, to read with complete love scene see link on my profile**-

Gathering himself back up to his brother's level once more, Sesshomaru could not help but welcome that odd, nameless tingling sensation in his chest as he watched a flushed Inuyasha staring at the wall defiantly, attempting to get his breath back. Claws brushed silver hair back gently away from Inuyasha's face, before coercing the boy to look at him. The Half-demon surveyed him carefully as silent moments washed over them. His older brother could have said it then, that look in his eyes – he could have sworn it was the very same look he had received those few times before…under the stars or back at the time he had been rescued from Hikireimaru. However, he could have sworn he would have said it then…if it had been true.

"Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha asked quietly, his breathing finally calmed.  
"Hn?" The Demon responded, leaning closer to press their foreheads together, and the Demon's eyes closed, as if determined to hide the emotion he had glimpsed within them mere moments ago.  
"You know…at our…our _'Mating Ceremony'_?" Inuyasha swallowed hard before continuing, "Those vows we had to write… I – I thought I felt you write an extra one."

A smile danced over the older brother's lips, and he drew back, permitting Inuyasha to pull his kimono back up. "You are quite astute, but what is it about it that suddenly bothers you, all these months later?" He watched Inuyasha shrug in response.  
"I never thought you'd tell me the truth if I asked," the Half-demon responded honestly.  
"I will not lie to you…" Sesshomaru said after a moment's pause. "But I do not wish to discuss that currently – there is no time, I can hear the guests moving into the hall and we both need to change into our new garments." He smirked as Inuyasha snorted, and checked to see if the hall was empty before leading the boy to the base of the stairs. "Takara will be up shortly to help you. I will see you in the hall soon."

Inuyasha nodded, sighing heavily as he gripped the banister, beginning the slow struggle up the stairs. He missed his former mobility, and would never take it for granted again once he finally got it back. Sesshomaru's gaze did not leave him until he had climbed the stairs and turned the corner on the landing to head towards their chambers. He could not help the unsettling anxiety of the night to come settle in the pit of his stomach, reminding him of that horrible suspicion that something was going to go wrong – not for the last time.

Inuyasha cringed as that evil object Sesshomaru so casually named _'the brush'_ was dragged through his hair once more. "Be gentle why don't ya?" he hissed at Takara. The Demon smiled, setting the brush aside and letting silver locks fall down against the red silk of the kimono that Ayane had made him. Maybe it was because the colour was so very close to his own fire-rat garb, (except for the gold and white embroidery that mimicked the pattern of Sesshomaru's usual attire) but he didn't feel quite so…_out of place_ in these clothes, and they were loose fitting enough to hide his stomach if need be, which was an added bonus…

"Where are the brats anyway?" Inuyasha asked Takara sulkily, as the Demon straightened up his clothes carefully.  
"Nanna took them down to the gathering, she will keep an eye on them, you need not worry, Sire – the only thing you need to worry about is yourself." That smile graced his lips, and Inuyasha could only just suppress the one that brewed at his own in response.  
"Why do you say things like that when you know damn well I'm worried about everything else?" Inuyasha asked, irritated by the way this man seemed to be able to see right through him.  
"My job is to advise, Young Sire – you have no need to concern yourself about the things you are so anxious about," Takara assured him, standing back to look Inuyasha over.

It had been difficult to help dress a pregnant half-demon that did not want to be touched, looked at or much else, but he had done so nonetheless, and he smiled at the thought of how Lord Sesshomaru would react when he saw him…

"Your brother has you very looked after, Young Sire, history tells us that it will undoubtedly rain – we cannot stop it from falling, but Lord Sesshomaru will stop it from reaching you, that you can be sure of…"

Inuyasha tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Why do you damn dignitaries have to talk in riddles? Why not just answer a guy with like – _words_ not that poetry crap." He frowned as Takara laughed.  
"I am not a dignitary, Young Sire; I am merely your brother's servant." He looked shocked when Inuyasha snorted at his words.  
"You might as well be one of 'em – You and Nannami are like Sesshomaru's second serving of parents." The Half-demon raised a brow when Takara looked surprised, azure eyes widening. "Oh come on, you love Sesshomaru probably just as much as the Old Man did. Well…I guess anyway, I didn't know him, but-"  
"-Listen to me, Inuyasha…"

It was the first and only time Takara had called him that, and it startled him into silence, the name spoken with such pensive calmness did not sound right coming from Takara. Despite everything that had happened in his past, Takara was always so…happy, and caring. It took a special kind of person to adore the child who was (in all truthfulness) responsible for what had happened to the woman he loved. It took a uncommonly loyal person to stay so faithful to someone like Sesshomaru, no matter what the treacherous wind whisked in their direction.

"I would never dare to assume I would ever be such a thing to Lord Sesshomaru-"  
"-But Sesshomaru feels the same damn way! I know I don't know him too well considering, but even I know he'd never stomach half the crap you and Nannami say to him if he didn't-"  
"-Though you never knew your father, Lord Inuyasha, please – never doubt that he loved you both, and your mother, after everything he gave, it would be disrespectful to think such things…" Takara seemed so thoughtful, almost nostalgic. Overcome with the questions that erupted in his mind, Inuyasha gnawed his lip, determined to show some tactful selection in his words for once.

"Err…Takara?" Inuyasha asked carefully, not entirely sure about talking to people without upsetting them. "How did you first meet Sesshomaru? You watched him grow up didn't you?"

A confused smile met Takara's features. "Lord Sesshomaru did not tell you?"  
"No," Inuyasha replied, shrugging, "I never asked, I guess…" Turning as Takara instructed, he felt the demon seize the front strands of his hair, beginning to bind it back into his hair intricately as he spoke.  
"I suppose Lord Sesshomaru is not one to talk of such things…he is very distant from his past, that is what allows him to be the way he is." He paused, holding the gold binding in one hand, beginning to braid it into the hair he had bound back from Inuyasha's face.

"Lord Sesshomaru's mother, she was…beautiful, undeniably so, but nonetheless, cold, cruel…treacherous. She manipulated your father, (not an easy thing to do) she wanted his lands and title, but when they were bound, she showed her true colours…one betrayal after another. And when Lord Sesshomaru was born, she refused to hold him, even look at him. I suppose she realised that Inu-no-Taishou was not quite the fool she had taken him for, and she left without a word."

Inuyasha frowned. He was not exactly nurturing, nor was he the most sympathetic to the creatures of the world, but the thought of leaving his own pup, and refusing it made bile creep up the back of his throat. The pup seemed to offer him an appreciative nudge at that. "Evil bitch…" he growled, something in his chest burning at the thought of her leaving his brother like that, it was…disgusting.

"Indeed," Takara agreed, his voice oddly angered, "and he had not told us she had neglected to feed Lord Sesshomaru at all – the woman left havoc in her wake, even left your brother crying in his crib with hunger. Had not her attendant come to the room…" This was where Takara permitted a smile to reach him once more, and Inuyasha frowned as he turned to face him. "You do not comprehend where this story might lead?"  
"Keh…" Inuyasha mumbled, shaking his head. But then it dawned on him. "Nannami was the attendant? But what does that-"  
"-Nanna was Lord Sesshomaru's wet nurse," he murmured with a mischievous smile that reminded Inuyasha of Miroku. Inuyasha's eyes were wide, he couldn't blink – that fact lingered somewhere between weirdly sweet and downright hilarious.

"I suppose…" Takara continued, opening the door out into the hall, and gesturing for Inuyasha to head out of it. "That the reason why Nannami was able to recover from the news that we would never have our own child…was because, she regarded Lord Sesshomaru as her responsibility – if nothing else. For the first few years of his life, she was what kept him alive."  
"No wonder she gets away with cheeking Sesshomaru so much," Inuyasha said with a smirk, "So I guess you both really are like the parents the bastard never wanted."

Takara laughed as they both headed out into the hall. "I was the person who delivered him, and I taught him a great deal of things when he was young. I continue to offer my services to him even now, and though outwardly it seems that he is…shall we say 'closer' to me, it is in fact Nannami with whom he holds a deeper connection to."  
"So I'm not the only one with mother issues…" Inuyasha mumbled, unheard by the Demon as they both descended the stairs in silence.

How was any sane man supposed to react to such news? It was admittedly odd, but he felt a dull ache in his chest upon realising (not for the first time) that he really knew so little about his brother. Here he was, probably days away from starting a family with him, when he didn't even understand the kind of family Sesshomaru had. He had known that Nannami and Takara were like parents to him, but he'd had no idea how close to the truth that was. And as for his birth mother…he had never heard anything about her before at all… And wasn't she still alive somewhere?

Noise could be heard from inside the hall where the guests were gathered for the feast that would be held before any socialising was to occur. As he understood it, there was some order to it – an order in which he was to enter last. So it was then that Takara inclined his head slightly in good luck, before disappearing through the door. And left quite alone in the comparably dark hall, he stared apprehensively at the slither of light reaching to him from beyond the door that stood ajar and inhaled shakily.

There was a distinct familiarity about one of the scents that surrounded this door. He could not distinguish who or what exactly, but it made that sickened anxiety build in his chest once more, he knew someone beyond these doors? His hands clenched into fists at his side, as he stepped through the archway and into the crowded hall.

TBC

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A/N: 33 Pages this time lol. Hmm, i dunno if i am happy with this chapter at all, but nevermind its out now and you can expect an update in 2/3 days XD Also...a few suprises i know you will both like and hate ehehehe... So please dont be too harsh about this chappie, and if you really hated it please hold out for the next one. It'll be better. Review so I know ya'll havent given up on me XD

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	27. Rest in Me and I'll Comfort You

Author's Note:  
The puppy arrives next chapter! :D SO please review, if you have time so that I know you'll all still enjoying ^_^

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**Chapter Twenty-Seven  
**_**Rest in me and I'll comfort you**_

A shrill, screeching cry filled the room. The windows hung open wide, the harsh evening winds causing the shutters to slam against the walls maddeningly. Vibrant locks were swept back over the Demoness's shoulder as she entered the room, staring wildly about, before her gaze settled on the abandoned bed. Crimson eyes went wide. Flying forwards she threw her hands against the shutters, bolting them closed to stop that shattering noise. The room fell silent aside from those pained screams. After a moment, the Demoness prised her long fingers slowly from the shutters and her breath escaped her with soft wisps of white mist in the freezing room.

Slowly those deafening screams drew her forwards and she paused at the elaborately dressed basinet, staring down, (even through the darkness) at the fretting child within. She considered him thoughtfully. The mistress had forbidden anyone to touch the infant since it had been born, yet she had not held it herself. And now the mistress was gone, and her child had been left abandoned in the dark, cold room, without so much as a blanket over his all-too vulnerable body…

Suddenly the child's screams gave way to wretching coughs and began to choking on its own sounds. Her arms dove forwards, and she loosened her kimono before bringing the freezing body against her own warm one, wrapping the fabric back around them both. She shuddered at the feeling of that cold skin, and rubbed the infant's back softly, trying to warm him. "Sshhh," she hushed him softly with dulcet tones, her heart melting with each blink of tear-stained, golden eyes, freshly opened, and staring upon her for the first time.

"It should be his mother he sees first…" she murmured aloud to herself, though found it impossible to put the child aside and call for someone else. The boy was drawing her deeper into his eyes the same way gravity pulled her feet to the ground.

The noise had dissipated. The child was silent, staring up at her in awe, though that calm complacency of his treacherous snake of a mother remained stiffly on his features, even as he studied her. She was the first living thing he had seen in his life, after having spent his first day or so staring up at the blank ceiling, crying for food, for attention, for anything - just crying, and being ignored. He had cried enough to last the rest of his life, perhaps this was why he would become so calm and complacent in the future? Tiny fingers knotted into the auburn locks that escaped over her shoulder, as if clinging to this new saviour, unwilling to let the attention escape now he had it.

Nannami studied the solemn little face carefully as she brushed aside the glistening silver strands that caught the miniscule light which slithered into the room through the closed shutters. "You are too adorable for someone like her," Nannami cooed softly, running smooth fingertips over the crescent moon on that forehead before tracing the flesh slowly down to his chin. She jumped a little when he caught her finger in that tiny, toothless mouth, though he caused her no real damage. "I am not food, Young Sire," she scolded lightly, trying to pull her finger back, but the boy did not let go. She frowned then, realising what he wanted.

The Demoness blushed profusely. This was a noble-blooded baby; to do such a thing...it would have been an honour she was in no way worthy of. A low, surprising growl sounded from the back of the child's throat, and she smiled despite her confusion. "You do not frighten me, _My Lord_," she purred, yanking her finger back sharply as his grip loosened and she seized the moment to shift his weight slightly in her arm. Should babies this young know how to sulk? To use such adorable features to their advantage? She didn't think so, but that was what this boy was doing, of that she was sure.

A wide yawn tugged at the sides of the child's mouth, and it drew one from her also. But the way the little body stretched in her arms brought him ever closer, and suddenly something tore through her. Not subtle or fluttering, or gentle, but instinctually raw and possessive. She knew what was right and what was wrong – she was not worthy to be breathing the same air as this child (it had been a miracle she had been allowed to assist with the birth) and yet here he was, choosing her, and the thought of calling out to someone, and passing his vulnerable body out of her protection…

It sent a jolt of understanding through her veins, like electricity. Her instincts pushed all rational moral from the forefront of her mind, crushing it back somewhere to be forgotten. Something inside her realised that she had chosen him much in the same way…

Without realising, she dropped down onto the end of the bed. Staring down at the little silver-haired lord once more, she watched him instigate something that would set in flow, innumerable events in her life - changing her forever. Just that one little moment, just that one little mouth on her, taking what it needed – calling for what it needed from nowhere. Just that one hand that never released its iron grip on her hair…

There was something so captivating about this suddenly, so very important infant feeding off of her, something hypnotising that made her oblivious to the golden gaze that watched her from the shadows.

"I knew from the start there was a lie lingering behind her eyes whenever I was with her…"

Nannami startled, looking up just as Inu-no-Taishou stepped towards her, a pensive look capturing his features. "She never professed nor displayed any affection of course, but I had hoped that her betrayal, her coldness would not sink so deep… Yet, I always suspected, deep down that she was as ruthless and selfish on the inside as I saw on the outside. It was foolish to hope, I now see…"

"My Lord…" Nannami murmured nervously, manoeuvring to pull the child from her, but finding herself unable to do so, merely settling for pulling the kimono further up her chest to ensure her Lord saw nothing. "My Lord I am sorry – Honestly, I had no intention of – I just came in, and the Young Sire was left cold, so I held him – and Lady Sachinatsu, she had not fed nor held him at all since birth so, he was starved to-"  
"Such explanations are unnecessary, Nannami. You may have just saved my son's life." He looked fondly down at the child, before graciously turning his gaze away upon remembering what the infant was doing at that moment. "It seems he has chosen you in any case. It would be senseless to tear him away, when he has already lost so much… Would you be willing to take on the responsibility of wet-nurse?"

Nannami flushed darkly. "I do not deserve such a responsibility, My Lord, I am but-"  
"-The mate of one of my most trusted servants," Inu-no-Taishou finished, moving over to pluck the abandoned swaddling cloth from the table at the side – not touched at all. "I have trusted others with important things; Totosai with any weapon, Myoga with any message, Sachinatsu with my heart, I have entrusted important things to much less worthy people, however…" he trailed off, passing her the cloth to wrap around the infant in her arms who was quite full at last, and yawning widely once more. "I could think of no one better to entrust my most precious possession to…"

Nannami nodded resolutely, unable to refuse despite her pride and place. "Yes, My Lord, I will endeavour to serve you in this-"  
"-Do not serve me," he interrupted quietly, opening the door, and looking back to her, "Serve your Young Sire, and help him grow into a person as unlike his unworthy mother as is possible, if she has not already poisoned him with her wickedness."

Nannami frowned, confused. "My Lord, I-"  
"-Sachinatsu has not managed to hold claim over my lands, that is why she left. She could no longer fool me. She would gain nothing but the adoration of her son if she stayed, and that mattered about as much to her as my love… There are dark times ahead of us, Nannami," he growled lowly, "and I will not falter, that I can promise. For those in our line do not fall unless it is for 'that' person… But I ask that you and Takara look after Sesshomaru for me, wherever I cannot, whatever that may cost you." He watched with that same thoughtful golden gaze as his son's, as the demoness nodded once more.  
"I would have done so without question, Sire. And I will watch over him, I will protect him as long as time permits, and then some…"

* * *

There was a distinct familiarity about one of the scents that surrounded this door. He could not distinguish who or what exactly, but it made that sickened anxiety build in his chest once more, he knew someone beyond these doors? His hands clenched into fists at his side, as he stepped through the archway and into the crowded hall.

Suddenly the tirade of noise vanished, escaping through the doors like smoke as Inuyasha stepped through them. A queasy feeling settled in his overly large stomach as bile crept up his throat – those eyes were on him. The whole silent hall had turned their attention to the doors, and he swallowed nervously, suddenly feeling very small in this very big world.

Golden eyes scanned the still hall, and as the suffocating weight in his chest shifted upwards, threatening to choke him, he moved forwards. The crowds parted slightly, higher status demons inclining their heads slightly in polite acknowledgment whilst the rest bowed low. He frowned, the same way he did when Kazuki used to bow and scrape to him, just because he was a demon lord. Demon Lord? He wasn't even that. Who decided that he was better than anyone else – just because of his hair, his eyes and his brother? He was still a half-demon, he wasn't better than any of them, no matter how they dressed him up. No one was better than anyone else in this room, so whereas some were averting their eyes, (deeming themselves unworthy of his gaze) why were there still people looking down upon him, in ways one wouldn't even look at a dog?

"Lord Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha turned at the sound of that voice, finding that familiar violet-haired child beside him, pulling at his own dress kimono slightly, as if to wait for the Half-demon's approval. Inuyasha smirked as he admired the way the vibrant red silks gave such emphasis to the child's matching eyes.  
"Heh, looks good on ya. S'pose Rin approved?" He continued to smile knowingly as Kazuki blushed furiously, avoiding his gaze and fiddling idly with the flower-chain about his neck that Rin had pressed upon him earlier.

He felt it odd that this suffocating, paranoid weight lessened upon seeing Kazuki. Wasn't he the one who was supposed to make the child feel secure and not the other way around? Perhaps it was just seeing someone familiar within the din made this whole experience less daunting, if only a little.

"Have you seen Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha asked after a thoughtful pause, something inside him deciding with all these judgemental gazes weighing on him, he should probably just get to what had to be done, not wander around aimlessly. He'd learned long ago that the more vulnerable you looked, the more trouble seemed to find you.

With Inuyasha watching him, Kazuki spun round, scanning the crowds. The child finally came to a halt, pointing over to the left slightly. "He was talking with some lords over there, he asked me to come find you."  
Inuyasha nodded.  
"You go back to Rin and Nannami, okay?" he murmured distantly as he walked away, and swallowing nervously, he prepared himself for what was to come. He could recognise one of the three male demons Sesshomaru was talking to as Hachirou, and his nerves quickly dissipated into anger. If Sesshomaru thought he was going to play nice to that bastard, he was sorely mistaken…

"Ah, Inuyasha…" The way his brother greeted him like that, extending an arm and ushering him closer carefully, he was being so indifferent to him – so unlike how he had been earlier in the stairwell. Inuyasha moved alongside him, raising his eyes to stare at the opposition as boldly as he would have before his body had begun to change.

"My Lords, this is my Mate, Lord Inuyasha," Sesshomaru introduced, his touch lingering reassuringly over Inuyasha's arm a moment longer than it needed to. Hachirou and the two other lords, one elderly and wizened, his race unidentifiable, the other with vibrant golden locks hanging down his back, all inclined their heads politely to him, though the resentment behind Hachirou's eyes was obvious.

"He is your brother also is he not?" the Golden-haired demon questioned, scanning him carefully, "You do not look alike at all – of course Lord Inuyasha has not come to court yet, however…he is entirely unexpected…" This demon must have noticed the way Inuyasha's mouth turned into a sneer at his words, for he hastened to correct himself. "Oh, I mean no offence to you, naturally."  
Inuyasha nodded, though could not decide whether he believed him or not. As if sensing his wavering doubt, this demon offered a lower bow.  
"Sire, I am Lord Masuyo of the Southern domain."

Inuyasha nodded, looking to the other to introduce himself, though the elderly creature merely smiled. "Oh I am no one of importance Lord Inuyasha; I am here to keep my prince in check, so to speak. He has a wily way about him Sire, if he rushes past on one of his quests to make himself heard before seen, I will be sure to introduce you-"  
"-The feast will start shortly. Inuyasha will have time to be properly introduced to everyone then," Sesshomaru assured him, taking Inuyasha's arm carefully. "Excuse us momentarily, my Lords." They bowed once more as he steered Inuyasha off to the side slightly and regarded him closely, scanning every pore to his skin, memorising him as if he had not seen him in days.

The Half-demon shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, averting his gaze slightly. "Err…Sesshomaru are you alright?"  
"Hn…" Sesshomaru purred, tilting his brother's chin up to look at him. "You merely look very striking in those clothes."  
"Keh," Inuyasha snorted, "I'm almost as fat as old Kaede – there's nothing striking about that."  
"You certainly are different from me if you do something as ridiculous as reject a simple complement-"  
"-Well who wants to be like you anyway, Jackass?"

Those closest to them stopped to look at them briefly, and Inuyasha realised his voice had been too loud. Scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, he shuffled his feet. "When are we eating?" He asked, changing the subject, "I'm starved." His brother smiled at him, pressing his forehead to his own briefly, before drawing away.  
"I will go see if I can speed things along a little, wait here."

Inuyasha sighed, tugging at his crimson kimono uncomfortably. If he arranged it in a certain way, his bump was barely visible, and if it was not visible, perhaps people would stop staring at him like he was some freak of nature. Then again, he was still a half demon, and no fancy embroidered kimono would ever hide that.

"You are not even worthy of the same air as us demons…Little one…"

Inuyasha's eyes widened, heart racing in his chest as he spun round, scanning the crowded hall wildly at the sound of that whisper in his ear. But _he_ was not there. He felt an overwhelming surge of panic seize him by the throat. No, he was just hallucinating under the pressure of all the stress from the recent weeks…he was not here, Hikireimaru could _not_ be here, he wouldn't dare…would he?

A slender hand slid round his middle, tugging him carefully back against a warm chest. Inuyasha shuddered. His senses were so confused by the hundreds of demons that filled the room. The scents of their heats, their hormones and their emotions all assaulted him at once until they overwhelmed him. His half-demon body would have been able to cope with this normally, but so weakened from offering almost all of his demonic energy to the pup, he felt his skin hum with the strain this was putting on his body. Yet still, he felt weaker today… Why so? What was wrong? He could not even bring the strength to flinch as another arm encircled his shoulders, hot breath skimming his ear.

He could not tell who it was, he didn't need to, he knew who it was and he felt his stomach churn. That demon was touching him, holding him and those vile claws skimmed over his pup through the vulnerable shield of his stomach. He wanted to scream but pride would not permit to call for help, he wanted to rake his claws through his mark so that Sesshomaru would know something was wrong, but he could not call for Sesshomaru's help… He was sick of being weak…

"G-Get OFF of me!" He growled dangerously. The embrace changed slightly, less tight but still he was not released. Snarling Inuyasha sank his fangs into the arm near his mouth, blood spilling into his mouth, and as the creature released him, pulling away, Inuyasha knew his mistake before he even turned. He'd tasted this blood before, felt the way it made his mouth tingle until it almost stung...

"S-Sesshomaru?" he mumured. Said Demon frowned at him, licking the blood off his wounded forearm before it managed to stain his kimono. The wound healed even as Inuyasha watched him clean it, and he felt a strange sense of remorse at not being able to recognise Sesshomaru's touch and upon unintentionally comparing it to Hikireimaru's…

"What is the matter with you?" Sesshomaru questioned, the sound of suppressed anger growling at the back of his throat. Inuyasha averted his gaze.  
"I don't…I felt something I…" He growled at his own weakness, trying not to notice the way everyone was staring at them. "I just got dizzy is all; it's too overcrowded in here with the stench of sex-crazed demons."  
"Indeed," Sesshomaru murmured carelessly, maintaining his indifferent façade before the guests, even though Inuyasha felt his mark itch with the Demon Lord's concern. "Come, the table is prepared for the feast."

Inuyasha merely nodded, following alongside his brother into the adjoining dinner hall, silently sorry for drawing his brother's blood when lately, even _he_ could tell that the Demon had made every last effort to make him feel more comfortable. He smirked distantly. Since when had he become so understanding? Sesshomaru's knuckles brushed over his own where their arms hung down beside each other as they walked, and the gesture caused that guilt in his chest to ebb away slightly.

_What kind of idiot am I, feeling so flustered over one little touch,_ Inuyasha thought, as he let Sesshomaru guide him to where he would be sitting, in the chair to the right of the head of the table. The Half-demon kept his eyes down, fiddling with his kimono, and concentrating on his attempts to hide his bump once more, not looking up as the dignitaries filed in and joined the table at their appropriate places (according to status).

Sesshomaru (he noticed) remained standing quite patiently, perhaps they were not meant to sit until they were all there? His suspicions were proved correct as Takara joined them, standing at his position opposite himself. Rin was sandwiched between Takara and Nannami, whereas Kazuki took a seat beside Inuyasha himself – all remained standing, like everyone else in the hall. In realisation of his error, Inuyasha leapt up, startling Kazuki and Rin. Nannami and Takara smiled warmly, whereas Sesshomaru merely inclined his head, clawed fingers tracing over Inuyasha's where they lay on the tabletop. "It is alright, I should have informed you of the typical protocol of this feast. You may be seated if you wish," the Demon explained. Inuyasha snorted, mumbling something about not being too puny to stand, and declined the offer of taking up his seat again.

When everyone had joined the seemingly endless table, all fell silent. Everyone's eyes fell on Sesshomaru, except for Inuyasha's. The Half-demon merely tipped his head, not looking at anyone, just silently pleading not to be noticed or stared at.

"I must welcome you all to my home, this year looks as if it will bring just as much prosperity as the last…" and the Demon Lord trailed on. Perhaps there were none who could tell the difference between this particular façade and the one Sesshomaru always pulled, but Inuyasha could, and he could see how bored and irritated his brother was with _everything_ to do with this event.

Now he had seen closer into his brother's personality, seen how different he was to the illusion he created for himself, Inuyasha found himself wondering how such a passionate and active-bodied creature could be so calmly composed and restrained all the time. How could the same demon who had pinned him beneath the stairs like a sex-staved animal, be content to be within these same four walls so long, to put up with such tiresome festivities? It didn't make sense…

By the time Inuyasha drifted back from his thoughtfulness, Sesshomaru was making the announcements, new births, new couplings, each of which Inuyasha could have cared less about…until… "…Lady Ayame to Prince Kouga of the wolf-tribe…"  
Inuyasha's eyes widened and his head snapped up as he stared down the table, and there, sure enough, Kouga sat, rolling his eyes and waving his hand slightly to show his recognition, with Ayame beaming beside him.

_Shit,_ Inuyasha thought, I didn't think he'd be here! And mated to Ayame? At this he smirked a little. _Looks like all Kagome was to you __**was**__ a shard detector…_ At first he felt some pride in knowing that at least in this time; there was nobody that loved her more than him, but as his brother set a hand on his shoulder, that thought froze, sending guilty icicles through his chest.

_"She will always be the one who holds your attention – she is five-hundred years away from us and yet still you will not look at me!"_

Inuyasha shuddered at the truth in those words now, and regret seeped into his now fully restrained half-demon blood. And why was it restrained? Because of Sesshomaru. Why hadn't Hikireimaru killed him or worse? Because of Sesshomaru. And he only realised just then how poorly he was repaying his brother's efforts, by thinking of someone who wasn't here anymore.

"And finally, as most of you may already be aware of – My younger brother has taken his place at my side to the rule over our father's lands…"

The way he acknowledged him then, Inuyasha could not help but be thankful for it…not making it sound as if his brother was forgiving him or letting him back in out of pity…Making it sound as if they were equal.

"He has also recently become my mate, as some of you that attended our ceremony will know…" With a few more words, he sat, and everyone else followed suite. Servants dashed in from every corner and setting appropriate dishes down on the table. Inuyasha watched as he and Rin were bypassed for the moment, guessing it was because they ate human food, but it was not this that had caused the frown to contort at his features. He looked at Sesshomaru. Why had he not mentioned the pup?

"They never do at these things…" Kazuki whispered in his ear, and Inuyasha jumped.  
"What?" He continued to frown as the boy smiled knowingly. It was somewhat odd for this boy who he was practically a parent to, to be so knowledgeable of his concerns.  
"Because of war and constant stresses upon noble families, pregnant partners are always losing their young… So they do not announce pregnancies until the pup is born." To this Inuyasha nodded, he supposed that made sense. He was beginning to become irritated by this new paranoia that accompanied his weakness…

Glancing over, Inuyasha noticed that a plate of food was before Sesshomaru, and in fact before everyone else besides himself and Rin. "Lord Inuyasha and Lady Rin's dishes are coming shortly, Sire," the small serving girl to the right murmured, "so much raw meat surrounding at once would have contaminated them so we are bringing them down separately." She bowed low and slinked away as Sesshomaru dismissed her wordlessly, but the Demon did not start eating. Inuyasha frowned.  
"Why ain't ya eating?" Inuyasha asked gruffly, feeling awkward that everyone was waiting on him. Sesshomaru smiled, his fingers interlocked patiently before him.  
"You are this castle's lord also, to begin before you are ready would be…unfitting…" To this Inuyasha snorted.  
"It's just food," he mumbled, so that only those closest to him deciphered his words, "you think after all these years of struggling for food, and having mangy humans stuff their faces while I was a starving kid, that I'm gonna be bothered by you starting to eat before-"  
"-Hush." Sesshomaru bid him silent, and a clawed finger hovering over half-demon lips. "Such seemingly insignificant, trifling matters such as this, will show others that we are equal – that you are to be just as respected as I…"

Inuyasha flushed turning his head away from Sesshomaru's golden depths, the eyes that seemed to draw him in further each time he met them. "I don't care about all that…"  
"Hn, that may be so, but father would care." It seemed that this was the winning argument, as Inuyasha fell silent until the remaining dishes were set before himself and Rin. The Half-demon was grateful for anything to divert his attention from the wolf's gaze that weighed heavily upon him with each passing moment.

"Stop fidgeting, Inuyasha," the Demon Lord murmured as he watched Inuyasha adjust his kimono once more to hide his stomach. Jerking from his dream at his brother's words, the Half-demon practically leapt at his plate. Kazuki jumped a little at the violent movement, staring with wide-eyed amazement at the assault Inuyasha had launched on his food, though after the first initial movement, Sesshomaru was surprised to see his baby brother taking his time with his meal – progressing through it slower than even he was with his own. He perhaps would have preferred to know it was because his brother was just being his old difficult self, though he knew better… It was for the same reason the boy kept fidgeting with his clothes, avoiding everyone's eyes…he didn't want to be noticed.

"So Lord Sesshomaru," Nannami began, Inuyasha not missing how Takara's fingers ghosted over her own on the tabletop whenever opportunity presented itself, subtly tracing the soft shape of her hand. Inuyasha could not help but smile a little at that between minute mouthfuls, the same way Kagome used to beam when the two of them spied on the frequent innocently romantic moments between Sango and Miroku in the days of Naraku's reign. Even _he_ was not indifferent to the soft flicker of happiness that love incited, the kind of selfless love that Nannami and Takara had…the kind of love that he used to have…

"How is the evening progressing so far, have you offended anyone as of yet by finding happiness?" Nannami continued. Sesshomaru smiled, the kind of vague yet sincere gesture that only someone that close to the otherwise distant demon lord could incite from him.

"Indeed, though I think we all know what has…_upset_ some of the more noble lords and prettier young ladies," Takara answered for his lord, smiling broadly with a faint gesture up the table to the few odd dignitaries scattered around that kept throwing resentful looks at the brothers. Inuyasha snorted, though jumped as something brushed against his leg.

"Lord Inuyasha?" Rin asked, twirling her chopsticks absently into her food. "Is something the matter?"

Inuyasha nodded dumbly, catching Sesshomaru's eye quickly, and seeing them lidded with guilt and that nameless emotion that seemed to linger there more and more recently. The Half-demon hurriedly turned his attention to his food once more, even whilst his brother's foot rubbed up his leg softly. He shuddered. The Demon was being so affectionate with him lately, and that confused him. Not because he didn't know if he liked it – he _knew_ he liked it; it was Sesshomaru that confused him, Sesshomaru and this entire relationship with him. It was so very multi-layered and complicated, but then…wasn't it said that all the good things in life were never simple? Is that what Sesshomaru was to him, a good thing? He smiled at the thought, even through his confusion and the suggestive rubbing against his inside leg. He supposed his brother certainly wasn't a bad thing…

Perhaps he shouldn't have eaten quite so much at the feast; his stomach was certainly rejecting something as he leaned against one of the windowless panes, breathing in the midsummer's evening. He closed his eyes with his back to the noisy room, and his ears slicked back into his hair. It was most likely just the stress of the entire evening so far; having so many eyes on him and so many bodies close by, but he felt so drained. And this dull ache in his stomach certainly wasn't helping any.

Propping his head up on his hand with elbows on the sill, Inuyasha dragged his thumb over his mark slowly. He did not recoil as two strong arms came forward and wrapped around his stomach. The warmth encircled the concealed bump and eased away that awful ache.

"I'm beginning to think you're misusing that mark, Baby Brother…"

Inuyasha smirked, feeling his brother's hair slide off those shoulders and come to drape over his own. Breathing in deeply he tipped his head to the side, mouth grazing his brother's cheek. "It's the only way I can get you to come to me…" Inuyasha murmured, feeling Sesshomaru smile against his flushed cheek.  
"I think I would like to hear you ask sometime…"  
"Keh, yeah I bet you would," Inuyasha growled teasingly, at times like this grateful for how much he'd changed. This kind of comfort and warmth…is this what had been missing from the gaping hole in his chest all this time? Even Kagome hadn't made him feel so…comforted, never more than a handful of times (though granted that was because he never permitted the closeness before). Perhaps that was why this needed to happen. Did everything happen for a reason? If any one thing in his past was changed…he might not be feeling this warmth at all right now.

_Because I never would have learned,_ he thought distantly, staring up at the dark blanket of starlit sky above. _Two people have to submit and sacrifice to make a relationship work… If it's only one person giving their all, then you'll never get anywhere…_

He thought back over the days where Kagome would come to him, and try to offer some sign affection, and he would brush it off, too stubborn to yield and return the gesture, or even accept it. And now with Sesshomaru…circumstance had demanded that he surrendered somewhat. Terrible pains and hardships he had suffered…to gain this?

"Hn…you are thoughtful this evening," Sesshomaru purred in his ear before capturing it carefully in his mouth. Inuyasha groaned softly, warmth caressing his skin. "Your stomach hurts?" the Demon asked. Inuyasha nodded. "The pup?"  
"No…I don't think so…just…something I ate I think…"  
"But you did not eat anything different tonight; we selected everything especially to ensure it would not trouble you." His fingers danced over that stomach, caressing the hurt softly. Inuyasha shrugged.  
"I know, and it's not really a food pain anyway…" he murmured, though said no more, just leant back into the warmth once again.

He had decided fairly recently, that he liked being held. Such a childish, foolish notion, but after being alone for so long… And indeed as Sesshomaru had said right at the beginning, after having to grow up so soon… Perhaps this was just another side-affect of that? Desiring to be held and comforted, instead of desiring to do that for someone else. Was that what made it easier to be the one who submitted?

"You need to rest soon, that is all," Sesshomaru said at last. "Your body has been working too hard." The Demon Lord pulled back, his brother turning to face him as he did so. "I shall go and speak with Takara, see if he might be able to watch the hall for me while I take you back upstairs." An oddly sincere smile punctuated Sesshomaru's words, the action happening more and more lately. Clawed fingers reached forward and traced the outline of Inuyasha's face, before shuddering away, the Demon turning and disappearing into the crowds.

Slightly embarrassed now that he had come back down from his dazed, compliant state, Inuyasha folded his arms sulkily, leaning against the wall. "Keh, _'take me back upstairs'_…" Inuyasha murmured, not for the first time that evening. "Jackass makes it sound like I'm completely incapable of taking care of myself. What did he think I did for the first two-hundred years of my life?"  
"I heard ya slept through most of it, Dog Breath!"

With those words Inuyasha closed his eyes, shaking his head. _Please gods no,_ he thought, turning slowly to face the direction of that voice. His lashes fluttered, and he prayed that what he saw would not be what he thought it was. Unfortunately, his life was not so simple.

"What are you doing here, Flea-Bag?" he growled, no little amount of frustration in his words.  
"I would ask you the same question Mutt-face but your stink proceeds you." Kouga smirked at the confused look on Inuyasha's face. "Even if the whole of Feudal Japan didn't know about you returning to this castle as your own brother's whippet, his scent is all over you!"

The Wolf stepped towards him, but Inuyasha moved backwards. He could tell Kouga didn't know about him carrying, and if he could escape his company without him finding out, he might be able to preserve what little remained of his battered pride. Unfortunately, his lack of the assertive, hot-headedness that Kouga had once been accustomed to drew far too much attention to him from the Wolf-demon.

"Hey what's the matter Mutt-face, finally realised you're no match for me?"  
"Keh, just realised ya ain't worth the time," Inuyasha growled, turning away, he flinched as he felt Kouga seize his arm, and a revolted shudder coursed through him. Sesshomaru was one thing, but ever since…since that time, others' touch against his flesh made his skin crawl.

"GET OFF ME!" He screamed, panic seizing his voice. He felt the eyes of those in the hall turn to them, at the same time as he saw Kouga's widen in shock of his panic. He stumbled backwards, yanking his arm from the Wolf's grip as if it had seared his flesh.  
"What the hell is up with you? Don't tell me you really are nothing without Kagome?" the Wolf asked, staring at the Half-demon as he panted hard, barely suppressing a flinch as the pup thumped him hard. "I always thought you were a lapdog but _this_ is pathetic-"  
"-Says the guy who leapt onto the next bitch who would have him!"

At those words Kouga snarled, diving forwards. Inuyasha leapt backwards, too quickly, losing his footing and in his haste to catch him he did not have time to fully avoid the swift swipe of the Wolf's clueless claws, the natural weapons only just skimming his stomach. No damage was done, but it drew blood, and made him flinch enough to stumble backwards, into something hard. Reeling round to see what it was, his eyes widened, and he found himself staring up at his fuming brother. Those eyes were tainted with red and fury burned the mark adorning his neck.

"Sesshomaru-"  
"-HOW DARE YOU ROUGH-HOUSE WITH MY PUP INSIDE OF YOU!" He shouted, and Inuyasha's ears slide back against his skull, mortification assaulting him as everyone stared. Even Kouga stumbled back, agape at such a revelation.

Finding some of his nerve after having such pure, uncompromised fury burning through him that was not his own, Inuyasha stepped up to his brother. "I wasn't doing anything, asshole!" he screamed back, momentarily careless that everyone was watching them. "You let the stinking flea-bag in!"  
"That is irrelevant you impertinent whelp!"

Inuyasha lunged for him, but Sesshomaru caught his attacking hands between one of his effortlessly, the other hand so easily snagging his brother's hair at the back of his neck and steering him towards the open doors towards the balcony. "Continue…" He hissed at the others, as he wrestled his brother onto the balcony. Shutting the doors behind them, he did not miss the way Takara was already steering the guests' attention away from the doors.

He released his brother and the boy stumbled from his grip, whirling around to face him with his fangs bared. "You're a bastard…"  
"And you are a selfish little fool," the Demon retorted dangerously, stepping forwards to trap his brother between his body and the balcony's stone ledge. Inuyasha stared up at him with furious eyes, not yielding or exposing his throat in any way.

"I didn't fucking do anything!" He exclaimed, "I was surprised to see him there! And when he caught up with me I tried to get away but he grabbed me. I didn't _do_ anything!" His voice was getting louder than ever, tearing at his throat, and Sesshomaru lunged, hands pinning Inuyasha's firmly to the ledge. His body pressed closer and closer, trying to force Inuyasha to tilt his head to the side, but he didn't. True the Half-demon had come to understand that he had to submit sometimes to get anywhere, but not now, his pride refused to yield when he was not in the wrong.

"And what, Little Brother, is there to prove you were innocent in this case?" Sesshomaru asked, the huskiness to his voice suggesting he was struggling to keep his demon under control. Inuyasha sneered, hands tensing under his brother's grip, trying to free themselves and tear at him, though failing dismally.  
"You think you love this pup more than I do?" The Half-demon hissed, holding his brother's gaze even as he felt his hands start to go numb from where his brother's grip cut off the blood-flow.

Slowly, the grip weakened, and Sesshomaru stepped back slightly, permitting his brother breathing room. "I apologise…" the Demon managed out through clenched teeth, his fixed jaw suggesting he was struggling to say the words, "I was overcome with…" He paused again, finding it difficult even now, after everything that had happened. "I was concerned for you."

Inuyasha snorted, turning his gaze from Sesshomaru's as he focused on adjusting his kimono so that the tear from Kouga's claws would not show. "You were just worried for the pup – you couldn't give a shit about me." He yelped as Sesshomaru pinned him once more, a hand gripping his shoulder as the other knotted into his hair at the base of his skull, pulling him into a fierce kiss.

Lips melded together, the more reluctant of the two giving in quickly, opening his mouth slightly to carefully capture the Demon's lip between his teeth. He blushed darkly, feeling his brother's leg rise and press up into his crotch. A groan tore free from him as he drew back from the kiss slightly, panting heavily. Sesshomaru pressed his forehead to his own, and with his eyes closed as he breathed him in.

"We have to get back to the guests," he murmured huskily, straightening up. Inuyasha felt the heat of his renewed arousal burn through him, and he caught his brother's shoulder leaning up to drop open-mouthed kisses down his throat.  
"Do we have to?" Inuyasha asked, fangs grazing over the demon's jaw and nipping gently. He smirked as Sesshomaru barely stifled a groan, his fingers running over those devilish puppy ears that perked at his attention.

The Half-demon leant up on tip-toes, trying to coerce the older male's lips to his, but Sesshomaru tilted his head away with a smile. "Your stomach is still troubling you?" Inuyasha nodded in response. "Head back inside for a little longer…" The Demon paused, leaning in to let his tongue dance inside the rim of a downy ear, his hot whispers ushering into it. "I will reward you for your patience later…"

"Prince Kouga," Sesshomaru stated as he and Inuyasha stepped back into the hall. "I would greatly appreciate that you respect those above you, and not attack my mate again, lest you wish to reep the unfortunate rewards for such a foolish action." With that, Kouga regarded the pair carefully, before permitting his gaze to fall on Inuyasha's now evidently pregnant stomach.

Shifting nervously under the gaze, Inuyasha cleared his throat, so that the Wolf met his eyes once more. "I know it's weird, I don't expect you to understand it – I don't really care if you do, just…" Inuyasha growled at his own inability to phrase things correctly, "ah heck I don't even care, be a bastard about it if you want. Everyone else has moved on since you saw us last, they're with their families…" Inuyasha cast a quick, embarrassed glance up to Sesshomaru, who was watching him intently, then risked looking back to Kouga again. "And now I'm with mine."

There was a long pause. The noise of the busy hall, of those oblivious to their conversation seemed to fade into the background, as if they were a thousand miles away. Inuyasha was regarding Kouga carefully now. True, this creature was not his friend but they had fought together, side-by-side, they had fought _against_ each other for Kagome. No they were not friends, but still…he wanted Kouga to understand…he wanted him to…accept him at last, at least in the slightest sense.

At last the Wolf demon moved, scratching his neck the same way Inuyasha used to, looking quite lost for words. "Err, yeah…" he mumbled, "look I'm a demon as well, I know these things happen. I ain't one of your prudish human friends – Each to their own or whatever…" He trailed off, still looking thoughtful, as if he was deciding how to phrase his next words. "It's just err…the whole pregnancy thing…I never in my life thought it'd be someone like you, you're just so…so-"  
"-Pathetic…" Inuyasha mumbled in self-loathing. Suprisingly, Kouga frowned.  
"I was gonna say resilient."  
Inuyasha's eyes widened despite himself.  
"What?" He watched the Wolf shrug awkwardly.  
"I guess mothers are amoungst the strongest people in the world," Kouga murmured, not sounding like himself at all, but the way that Kouga glanced thoughtfully over Ayame at that point told Inuyasha why.

"I just never would have pictured you finally wising up and realising you have to give a little to get a little is all," Kouga smirked, noticing Inuyasha return the gesture.  
"So when can we expect your little demons to plague the earth?" Inuyasha asked teasingly, knowing that Kouga understood the way he had meant it.  
"Ah a few weeks yet – not like you, you're gonna pop any moment ain't ya?"  
"Oi!" Inuyasha shouted, blushing darkly.  
"See ya around dog breath," the Wolf responded, turning away from them, a smirk still gracing his features, "hope it goes well for ya."

And with that he was gone, swallowed by the bustling crowds as if he had never been. A strangely nostalgic feeling struck his chest, and he frowned, feeling the impact of how much had changed again. He was happy with Sesshomaru, and Rin and Kazuki, with all of them… But gods how he missed Sango and Miroku, how he missed _'her'_… The way they were before fate tore them from each other.

"When the pup is born, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said, bringing him back down from his pensive daze, setting a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "I will take you back to see your human friends for a time." He watched his brother frown; evidently confused as to how he knew exactly what he was thinking, and a little aggravated at his own embarrassing needs to see his friends again. "I think they could benefit from your company a little more, so that you may convince them that you are comfortable here," he pressed on, attempting to alleviate Inuyasha of some of his awkwardness, "so that they do not concern themselves over you."

Inuyasha smiled, nodding. He knew what Sesshomaru was doing by the way he had said that, but he appreciated it. It was gestures such as this that made him realise how much his brother was coming to know him, to understand him, and that made him feel much less lonely.  
"Are you alright, Little Brother?" the Demon asked at last. "You are looking a little unwell."  
Inuyasha shook his head.  
"No, I'm fine, really I just… I don't want anymore surprises is all. I just want to go to bed." He leant forward a little against his brother so that he could rest his head on his shoulder tiredly. He felt an arm come to support his back, and growled deep in his chest with satisfaction as long fingers stroked through his hair gently.

Suddenly Inuyasha's eyes widened. Feeling his brother tense, Sesshomaru released him, staring down at him in concern. "What is the matter?"  
"It…it can't be…" he gasped, words all-but silent as his gaze fixed beyond his brother's shoulder. "It's…It's…" Tiring of these games, Sesshomaru turned to look. And everything stopped.

His heart skipped a beat, anger rising like lava in an erupting volcano, and he felt Inuyasha's sickening pain inside his head, reliving those torturous moments. Beyond the crowds, the dark figure's pale fingers rose the glass to his lips and he drank from it carelessly. That obsidian hair was tied back the same as ever and familiar, cruel eyes turned to look at them with mock friendliness. Inuyasha heard Sesshomaru growl dangerously, while he merely froze.

"Stay here, Inuyasha," the Demon growled, charging through the crowds towards Hikireimaru. But the guests disregarded Sesshomaru completely, instead turning to Inuyasha, who swallowed nervously as some approached. He was not sure what he was concerned more over, Hikireimaru, or these advancing strangers.

They stopped just short of him, and the Half-demon offered an uncharacteristically nervous smile as the warm, friendly faces surrounded him. Unhostile voices questioned him curiously, not harsh, unfair judgemental words but interested, kind…

"You do indeed resemble your dear father a great deal, Young Sire," an elderly demon told him, eyes scanning his silver hair and face carefully.  
"Really?" asked a younger woman that stood to his right, "I think he has a much sweeter face. Softer than the late Lord Inu-no-Taishou. Your human mother was Lady Izayoi, was she not?" To this Inuyasha frowned slightly, nodding in answer though apprehensive of what was to follow. "Only saw her once myself. A more elegant lady I have never seen. I believe you have her softness to your sweet face."  
Inuyasha flushed, though secretly relished in the flattery of his mother, whom he'd loved so dearly, and lost so young…

A few of the adolescent females drifting slightly off to the side (evidently the lords' daughters) were watching him with girlish fascination. "Forgive me, Young Sire," the eldest of them said, her complexion flushed as she moved forwards, with her (what must have been her) very young pup in her arms. The dark-haired-child watched Inuyasha with wide-eyed interest. But before the girl had finished, Inuyasha realised what she was going to say, and his ears flickered in anticipation.  
"The ears, right?" he asked, a little cooler than he thought he'd be able to manage. She merely giggled, nodding slightly, her pup still staring at him.

Inuyasha blinked at the azure orbs watching him, the infant reaching towards the lightly flickering ears with a smile. Sighing heavily, he rolled his eyes, leaning forward a little so that the pup could reach. The small child's fingers capturing downy flesh much softer than Inuyasha had anticipated surprised him, as did the weight suddenly pressed on him as the girl pushed the pup into his arms, still smiling at him.

The blush did not dissipate from his face, and he stared down at the pup as it released his ears, its gender indecipherable. "What's its name?" The girl smiled at his question.  
"Satoshi," she answered. Inuyasha blinked, gaze returning to the pup.  
"Oh…a boy?"

She laughed, and he realised what a silly question it was, as he tried not to think about how…right the weight of a child felt in his arms.  
"It's alright, I get that a lot," she said. Inuyasha grinned sheepishly, giving the pup back to his mother, not really comfortable holding such a small vulnerable thing in his arms when it was not his.  
"It's a pretty boy is all," he retorted gruffly, looking away in order to save himself any further embarrassment. Though secretly unable to stop his thoughts from wondering if a boy born of Sesshomaru and him would be that beautiful.  
"What a sweetheart you are," the girl replied, before he was once again bombarded with questions from all sides, the Lords and Ladies evidently finding him so very interesting.

Across the room, Sesshomaru stopped just short of Hikireimaru. Poison hissed at his claws, the Demon Lord only barely able to refrain from choking the life from the cruel creature before him. But he could not, not in the middle of the gathering…not in his own castle, with so many demons close at hand. Panic would ensue and someone could get hurt, someone other than Hikireimaru that is, and he was not prepared for that.

"You will behave yourself whilst you are here you repulsive old fool," Sesshomaru growled threateningly. Hikireimaru turned to him with unhurried carelessness, as if Sesshomaru's fury was quite beneath his notice.  
"You hurt me to assume I would betray my kind host's hospitality, to do such a thing at this gathering goes against demon law-"  
"-And since when do you abide by any morals or rules, Hikireimaru?"

Hikireimaru smirked. "Well yes, I suppose you have me there," he replied with amusement, quite aware that Sesshomaru wouldn't do anything in these current circumstances. "I am a little more adventurous than you, I must admit…no laws nor boundaries hold me," his lips curled in a wicked smile with his next words. "Perhaps that is why I had such an affect on Inuyasha…" he whispered, so that only Sesshomaru could hear. "He was just so entirely overwhelmed by my touch that he just wet himself…"

SLAM! Sesshomaru seized the demon by his shoulders, throwing him against the wall. Solid stone against his body must have hurt, and he noticed a slight flinch as the demon recovered swiftly. But Sesshomaru already knew pain didn't affect Hikireimaru in the same way as it did everyone else, and was not surprised when the creature's tongue darted out to lick his own blood from his mouth, laughing slightly in sadistic amusement.

"You surprise me, _My Lord__,_" the Hikireimaru purred, fingers clenching tightly around his empty glass, "All your standards and etiquette, brougth down and shattered-" he punctuated the point by throwing his glass against the wall, the pristine fragments smashing into countless pieces that caught the light as they danced across the floor. "-all for a half-demon, the sin of your father…" He moved past Sesshomaru, pausing at his side so that his words whispered into his ear. "How…interesting…" He murmured, before disappearing beyond the door.

Breathing slowly as he tried to suppress his rage once more, Sesshomaru looked back to where the lords were swooning over Inuyasha. He could feel his nervousness; he needed to go to him soon, before he became overwhelmed by it all. But something had to be done about Hikireimaru first, and he followed in his path out the door, intent on seeing him from the castle boundaries, and then setting the security outside on guard for his possible return.

He had never received such a large amount of positive attention from this many people in his life, and he didn't know how to deal with it – he didn't deal with _any_ attention very well. The apprehension over Hikireimaru was quite forgotten with the overwhelming problems he had surrounding him just then. He tried to find Sesshomaru through the din, though he was impossible to see. The Half-demon could just about make out Kazuki standing off to the side slightly, though the young demon was far too preoccupied with entertaining Rin to notice him. The people surrounding were pleasant, and though they did not touch him in any way, he could tell that they were all watching him, waiting for an invitation to caress his stomach, or his ears, and he came to realise fairly quickly, just how very new to them and their society he was.

Half-demons rarely managed to survive as long as he had, and even then, they were never introduced to higher-Demon society, and (as far as Takara had told him) almost none of them possessed his 'gifts'. This, and the desire to feel just a little more of this positive attention (courtesy of his pregnant hormones) was what allowed him to keep his patience with these people. This of course, was one of the rare occasions where the people around him actually _benefited_ from his mood-swings.

"No wonder Lord Sesshomaru failed to show any inclination to find a mate among those at the Midsummer's Eve gatherings in the past," a slightly more mature Demoness said. "He was waiting for you to mature so he could court you, eh?"

Inuyasha found himself blushing again. "Well, no not really, we-"  
"-Good choice to keep you hidden. You were best kept away from the rest of the demon world I think. Not a good place for a young lord to grow up."  
"Your father would be proud to see you back where you belong I can tell you that for nothing."  
"How much longer have you to go before you whelp?"  
Inuyasha turned to the third voice, finally finding something he could respond to, though once again he found all eyes on his swollen belly. His arms instinctively came about to cradle it slightly. He'd never been very comfortable being touched, but ever since Hikireimaru's capture of him he was very wary of those that tried to touch his stomach. Only Sesshomaru had managed to make contact without making him flinch…

"Any day now. Half-demons carry for four months, just like demons do." The man who'd asked the question nodded his understanding.  
"Have you any idea what your pup might be?"  
Inuyasha turned again, finding himself meeting the eyes of none-other than Ran, Lord Hachirou's daughter. He hadn't liked her very much initially, not once he realised that she and her father had tried to coerce Sesshomaru into mating her, and that (for some reason) rubbed him up the wrong way. It wasn't love or affection as such, more his demon instinct's possessiveness to keep past suitors away from his mate.

"Err…not really… I don't really care though," Inuyasha answered untruthfully. He'd never divulged to anyone what he wanted the pup to be, particularly not Sesshomaru.  
She stared at him for a moment, taking in his appearance just as she'd done before, as if searching for the reason that _he_ was Sesshomaru's mate and not her. Just then, an ache spread over his abdomen, and Inuyasha clutched his stomach as he felt the pup shift as it sometimes did, the movement bringing with it another of those uncomfortable cramps.

A shallow hiss shuddered past his lips, and he felt the Demoness move forwards.  
"Is it moving?" she asked, a little harshly, "Could I-" Inuyasha flinched as she moved to touch his stomach, though watched a hand come out between him and her that did not belong to Sesshomaru.  
"Lord Sesshomaru would prefer it if you did not touch his mate," said Kazuki, pushing the Demoness back carefully to allow Inuyasha his breathing room. The female looked _more_ than displeased.  
"And who, pray tell, are you?"  
The Half-demon sensed Kazuki's confidence slip slightly, though he didn't move from his place between him and Ran.  
"I am Kazuki-"  
"-The _shining one_ who betrayed his mate by running under the protection of a half-breed just because he got fucked into the ground like the whore he is?"

SMACK! The sound ricocheted off the walls it seemed, and Inuyasha's palm stung even as he pulled it back from its collision with the Demoness' face. She stumbled, enraged as she clasped her cheek. "You DARE-"  
"I dare," Inuyasha snarled in return, moving before the boy he'd come to consider his responsibility. He may have not been that much younger, but Kazuki's lack of assertiveness and his meek attitude made him seem so much more vulnerable to the bitter words of people like this woman before them.

"You stinkin' _whore_! Sesshomaru is _my_ mate, and this is _my_ castle so keep your foul tongue behind your teeth and treat my ward with respect or you'll be out on your ass!" He could feel the tension leaving him with every word, alleviating him of his anger, but his words only enraged Ran.  
"If you weren't carrying I'd push you on _your_ ass!"  
Inuyasha smirked.  
"And Sesshomaru would break you in two for trying-"  
"-Why would he care? You are a _half-demon_ – A FILTHY HALF-DEMON-"  
"-And I bet that kills you don't it?" Inuyasha goaded, relishing every minute of putting one of the unjust people that made his childhood a misery in their place, "that a half-demon is higher up than you – that a half-demon has the person you thought you could have."

"RAN!" The voice carried over everything else. Everything in the hall fell still and silent as Lord Hachirou emerged from the crowd, seizing his daughter's arm and looking to Inuyasha. "Forgive her, My Lord, she is headstrong and reckless. I will be sure to deal with her later."  
Inuyasha said nothing, just completely disregarded him, because he knew if he spoke he would not resist the urge to shout at him too, for the hurtful things he'd said about him to Sesshomaru when he thought he wasn't listening…

Eventually the noise returned to the hall once more as Hachirou and his daughter disappeared from the room. The previous atmosphere returned and Inuyasha found himself once again swamped with attention and questions from those around him – all of these people (he noted) who also seemed more elated than he had been at having Ran put in her place…

"Are you alright, My Lord?" a round-faced little woman asked, and he nodded in response.  
"Yeah, fine…"  
"Are you really though?" Kazuki muttered to him under his breath, and Inuyasha smiled.  
"Yeah, the pup's just moving a lot is all, I've got stomach cramps. They'll pass…"

Suddenly the entire hall fell prey to silence once more. Sesshomaru, who lingered near the entrance (having only just re-entered the room after seeing Hikireimaru off), turned towards the crowd surrounding Inuyasha, just as the sound of liquid colliding with the floor sounded in his ears. The people around his mate stepped back, leaving the Half-demon standing with only Kazuki beside him. All eyes were fixed firmly upon him as he remained unmovable, arms hanging lamely at his sides, as liquid pooled around his feet, staining the lower part of his kimono shamefully. Inuyasha met his eyes from across the room, and both sets of gold widened in realisation.

Sesshomaru short forwards, capturing his mate before he had even began to sink to the floor. Kazuki stood beside them, confused, panicked, and looking to the Demon Lord for an order – anything to help. "Kazuki, find Takara and Nannami and send them up to my chambers," Sesshomaru ordered, and the young demon nodded hastily.  
"Yes, anything else, Sire?"  
"Send Jaken beyond the castle walls to fetch Kokoro, and then guard Rin, is that understood?"  
"Yes, My Lord," he replied hastily and with that Kazuki darted from their side and darted from the room.

Sesshomaru moved to gather Inuyasha's body in his arms, but the Half-demon objected. A growl of irritation rumbled deep in the older sibling's throat.  
"Do not be ridiculous Inuyasha-"  
"-You ain't carrying me like a bitch-"  
"-Inuyasha!" Such lack of control, such blatant irritation in his usually stoic brother's voice, may have amused him if it were any situation other than this. After months of waiting it seemed so surreal, like it wasn't happening at all. A thousand questions and worries thundered through his head. It was actually happening? It was actually coming?

~To Be Continued...

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A/N: **A 34 PAGE MONSTER!** Lol, hope ya liked the flashback at the beginning with baby Sesshomaru as well ^.^ AH NO THE CLIFFIES! XD sorry about that, but trust me its worth it. I'll update the other one in around 3 days :) Anyways review please so I know you're all still there. Ta Ta For now! ^_^

Love  
Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	28. Birthing A Dawn

Author's Note:

Here it is at last 28 chappies wait and it's here, the puppy! Lol.** Obviously some people are going to be disapointed as to the sex of the puppy, **but i ask that even if it isnt the choice you wanted that you still enjoy the story, as it would not have been much different whichever sex the puppy was. Storyline will progress the Same. And You guys were the ones that voted via , Aff and by direct email so it is not me thats done it, so please dont yell at me ^.^ **I Will post the actual results in the end of the chappie **(after you already know what the sex is) 'cause it's really interesting to see how close it was ^_^

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**Chapter Twenty-Eight****  
****Birthing A Dawn**

Eventually the door to the Demon Lord's chambers opened, and an unusually dishevelled Sesshomaru elbowed it shut once more with the Half-demon he had tackled (as gently as the word permitted) into his arms still struggling indignantly in between cries of agony. "...You son-of-a-bitch put me down!"  
Sesshomaru refrained from growling in irritation.  
"Gladly," he answered, dropping his mate haphazardly onto the bed. Inuyasha hissed in pain, the sound causing Sesshomaru to drop to the bed beside him.

"Takara has gone to fetch Nannami and all the necessary items; they should not be too long..."

Inuyasha nodded amidst whines of pain, and shifted onto all-fours, endeavouring to steady himself on his knees when the next wave of agony coursed through him. A wince distorted his features and his clawed hands snagged hold of his brother's shoulders, gripping unknowingly (spitefully) into him in an attempt to alleviate his discomfort.  
"Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked, his voice uncharacteristically confused, anxious, _useless_. How could he be expected to watch and feel his mate's pain and do nothing about it? He leant further into the pain of Inuyasha gripping his shoulders, because it made him fell like he was doing _something_ at least.

Inuyasha shook his head, his body shifting in confused directions. The Demon Lord watched him, his brow furrowed as his brother crawled up the bed slightly, resting on his knees with his chest and head pressed exhaustedly into the pillows, his breathing heavy. "It hurts..." The words sounded strange from Inuyasha's mouth, a person who never admitted pain nor weakness so easily. Both seemed to understand how foreign that was to the Half-demon's mouth. Both remained equally terrified and unprepared for what was to come.

Sesshomaru felt his gut twist with his brother's words, and he moved up to Inuyasha's side once more, leaning down so that he could capture his agonised gaze.  
"I know it hurts. Tell me to do something, anything..."

Those words permeated the air, and the younger sibling stared at the older with glassy eyes, his claws slicing into the bedding as he felt the next wave approaching slowly. "The windows..." He finally answered breathlessly, "...it's hot..." He watched, for that moment paralysed as Sesshomaru (for the first time in his life) did as he was asked without question, throwing open the shutters to reach the windows. The moonlight flooded in through the open panels, bathing the sweat-covered body on the bed and the cool summer's evening caressed the room with a breeze. Sesshomaru gathered his breath, his heart hammering in his chest as he paused, staring out across his lands through the open window. After a moment, some semblance of calm returned to him, and he slowly removed the clothing from his upper body, so that only his hakama remained.

_Inuyasha was right, it is suddenly very hot in here..._

"Sesshomaru?" The disturbingly weak, small voice shuddered into his ears, and (a now half-naked) Sesshomaru returned to its source, kneeling beside his brother. His suddenly very sincere eyes met those that begged to be comforted, and released from the hurt.  
"Water..."  
Again, the Demon Lord moved as asked, returning with a glass of water from the basin, and even assisting the seemingly frail little body to drink it. But as he set the glass aside, a solemn gaze fell upon him, and he did not know what to say, or do to make it stop.

"Allow me to..." he paused, not sure what he had set out to say. He swallowed hard, not liking feeling so...different, so helpless. He was Lord Sesshomaru yet he may as well have been the now shredded comforter for all the good he was doing. "Allow me to tie your hair up off your back," he said at last, manoeuvring round to sit on the bed, "it will help you feel cooler." Deft fingertips weaved through silver tresses, and in peeling random strands from the sweaty back, he elected to ignore the fluid-soaked hakama out of courtesy for the moment, until his little brother's hair was bound back in tight braid. Still his fangs grated against one another. His only release. He felt useless, even now. And where were Nannami and Takara? It was ridiculous and obscene, that he should depend on others to care for his mate's pained body.

_But is that not what I have always done?_ Sesshomaru thought, _Stepped back and leave Takara and the others to deal with any real problems that could not be solved with a sword?_

"You can feel my pain can't you?" Inuyasha asked suddenly, leaving Sesshomaru with another frown creasing his brow, but before he could conjure an answer, Inuyasha had cut him off. "Is that why you're worried?"  
"Naturally, I-"  
"-And since when has my suffering bothered you in the slightest?" Inuyasha asked bitterly through clenched teeth as he fought of the approaching, inevitable pain.  
"Since I set aside my childish mistakes and resolved to become a mate, brother and father. I thought we had set our pasts behind us?"  
"I know," the Half-demon replied shakily, "I'm sorry, I just..." He grated his teeth together, beads of blood weeping from his abused gums. "...it hurts...like _nothing_ I've felt before. I've had nearly every part of me wounded in my lifetime but this is just... and I'm scared..." The last bit was almost inaudible, but Sesshomaru heard it, and he felt bile creep up his throat as the Half-demon's mental and physical pain assaulted him all at once. This kind of pain, made everyone the same, he supposed. Each just as helpless, and confused as the other. "Help me..."

Suddenly, Inuyasha's body tensed. A fresh, searing wave of agony spread through him. His fangs sank into his own clenched fist in some deformed kind of release as he felt the pup move down with the contraction, and his entrance dilated a little further with each new one - but it was not quick enough.

The contraction ebbed away, and Inuyasha struggled to sit up as best he could, his brother eventually assisting him in the movement. "Here," Sesshomaru said at last after steadying his sibling, his clawed fingers moving to undress him, "take these filthy garments off."  
Inuyasha did not move, did not say anything, did not _do_ anything. He didn't have any energy to do much else except _exist_ at the moment. And when his thoughts abandoned him, and the throbbing pain worsened in time for another contraction, he found his now naked body pressing in the mattress. His knees supported him with his face pressed into the sheets whilst his arms cradled his swollen stomach, and each overwhelming surge caused his body to almost rock out of his control towards the bedding.

Still clueless and hating himself because of his helplessness, Sesshomaru merely turned away from the humiliating state the pain had reduced his fiery brother to. There was no fire in those eyes that tears of pain had not extinguished, no petulant voice the screams had not torn away. The Demon Lord despised this pain from dragging his brother down so, but that was not the cause of this sharp agony in his chest that increased with every pitiful sound...he was concerned over Inuyasha's pain. No more than that - he could not explain the intensity of this..._'worry'_ but it was there, and hurting as badly as the bloody welts that his brother's claws had raked into his shoulders mere moments before.

Suddenly the door flew open, and the Half-demon remained both oblivious and careless. Sesshomaru however, dropped the thin blanket from the end of the bed over his brother to permit him some shred of dignity, before standing up to meet Takara and Nannami, who closed the door behind them as they stepped in, both quite out of breath. "Lady Rin is with Kazuki and Jaken, My Lord. I will assist Takara, if that suits?" Nannami gasped. Sesshomaru nodded dumbly, he knew the Demoness was just as gifted with medicine as her mate was, (particularly when it came to _'feminine'_ areas) and whatever they could do for Inuyasha, he would welcome. Besides which, she had assisted in bringing him into the world, had she not? Who could he trust more to bring his pup into the world, than the man who helped do the same for him, and the woman who kept him alive?

"Warm water and warm towels," Takara stated suddenly, "we need them." With that said he set down the small case he was carrying and plucked out one of the many small bottles from within, the liquid inside practically glowing an eerie fuchsia with its intense colour.  
"Indeed," said Sesshomaru, "send for some servants to bring them up-"  
"-No!" Nannami interrupted, moving over to where Inuyasha lay and shoving his dirtied clothes to the floor as she dropped to his side of the bed, as close as she dared. "He doesn't need a flock of people around him currently, My Lord, surely you must see that. We must calm this situation down, Takara and I will need your help but other than that there is no need for unnecessary people standing around uselessly making the Young Sire nervous."

"ASSHOLE!" Inuyasha screamed, his voice grating and tearing against his throat as he felt something in him tear, blood trickling down the backs of his legs. Sesshomaru seemed to practically dive forwards.  
"Inuyasha, what is-?"  
"-IT HURTS YOU IDIOT!"  
Sesshomaru watched him, his heart thudding so fast in his chest he thought it might burst right out. His now almost visibly shaking hand stroked over his mate's spine carefully, in any attempt to be useful in ridding the trembling body of this pain. He grimaced as he felt the next wave of agony assault the already tired boy.

_This is wrong... Inuyasha has suffered pain all his life... I should be the one to endure this agony for him... Had not I sworn to spare him this kind of torture from now on? _

"Nanna?" Takara said, and his mate turned to him, "the towels, the water, you can get them, right?" She nodded, departing the room, and Takara moved forwards, sliding the bottle into his Lord's hand. "Its oil, it soothes, trust me Sire, it works. Rub it into Lord Inuyasha's back and stomach - nowhere else, understand?" This condescending tone was brushed off by the Demon Lord as he seized the attempt to be helpful. Rolling back the blanket so that it hung over his mate's lower body, he held the small vial aloft and allowed it to drip onto the skin below. Takara returned, his azure eyes studying Sesshomaru massaging the oil into pained muscles, careful of his claws as he did so. The servant approached, setting down the small bowl beside Sesshomaru, a doting, fatherly look in his gaze. Sesshomaru was scared, he was panicking - he was showing such emotions carelessly, but it was only proof of how far he'd come, how much he'd changed in the last few months, and a strange swell of paternal pride swelled in Takara's chest upon witnessing it.

"My Lord, there is a cloth in the bowl. If you would wipe it over your mate's forehead - on the back of his neck is helpful also." Sesshomaru felt that familiar uselessness and stupidity seize him, and he did as the Demon bade him, the Demon he trusted more than anyone. A strangled sob reached their ears, and Inuyasha's head hung limply as he no longer struggled to hold back his cries. The agony and emotions assaulted him to an overwhelming height and glistening tears cascaded down flushed cheeks as he gave in, sobbing openly and shamefully to those who could hear him.

"Inuyasha...?"  
The Boy's face scrunched up as the next contractions approached - his whole _body_ seemed to scrunch up, the cries continuing even after.  
"I'm dying..." The Half-demon all-but whimpered, "There's something wrong. It's moving... What's happening inside me?" Takara came to the other side of him, gesturing silently for his Lord to rub the boy's back before braving speech.  
"Do not push yet, Young Sire. Just breathe steadily and try to relax as much as possible - I realise how ridiculous that sounds but every ounce of strength you save now you will be grateful for later."  
Inuyasha nodded, a ragged sigh dragging from his lips as he felt Sesshomaru bathe the back of his neck with the cloth soaked in that wonderfully cool water from the bowl.

Takara leant forwards, his first two fingers pressing firmly against the small of the Half-demon's back, and massaging in small, slow circles. Inuyasha's body relaxed against his numb knees, an audible sigh sounding. "H-How did you do that?" he asked, his throat sore from screaming, as he felt the pain lose some its edge. Takara smiled, gesturing for Sesshomaru to take over the action for him. Inuyasha smoothed his hands over his stomach slowly, closing his eyes against the room, and concentrating on the point where his mate's fingers were situated, sparing him _some_ pain at least.

The door opened not moments later, a dishevelled Nannami struggling in through the doorway and kicking it shut before heading over to them. Dropping the things under her arm onto the table at the end of the bed unceremoniously, she freed her strength to better place the large wash basin, filled with warm water down without spilling any on the carpet. "Towels, and water," she said matter-of-factly, before moving over to Inuyasha, resuming in mopping his neck and face with the cool water where Sesshomaru had left off, attempting to keep his temperature down.

"How long is this going to last?" Inuyasha groaned after a few moments of blissful calm, as (despite Sesshomaru's efforts) he felt the next contraction brewing. He was so tired already; he could feel his body sagging into the sheets. His energy was dying, and it felt like _he_ was too. He'd known pain. He'd known pure, unadulterated, searing agony, but _this_? It felt like every pain he'd ever felt concentrated into one spot at the same time. It was terrifying, and he felt his pup moving further down and down with each contraction, felt his entrance stretching spitefully, and the fear brewed at the pit of his stomach. The sudden jerking movement his pup did in his belly did not help the sensation. He felt like he was going to vomit. No. He _needed_ to.

"I have to check you, to see how far along you are," Takara said softly, though kept his distance, not moving. Sesshomaru swallowed hard.  
"But he is..." The Demon Lord paused, "he is uncomfortable just having his body _looked_ at, much less touched. It is a miracle that he is permitting even myself to touch him at this moment."

Takara sighed. "Indeed, however I can hardly deliver this pup without doing those things, can I, Sire?"  
Sesshomaru said nothing - no one, said anything, and Takara stood there quietly, waiting for his younger lord's command.  
"I..." Inuyasha began, "I need to..." But before he could finish he shoved Nannami roughly out of his way, before throwing himself forwards, and emptying the contents of his stomach into the bucket that Takara had placed there earlier for that purpose. His throat wretched, his stomach lurching as he heaved again, only bile coming up this time, and the time that followed, and he did not retreat from the beside until he was sure he was done.

Resuming his position, Inuyasha relished in the feeling of both Sesshomaru and Nannami's pain-relieving attentions returning to his body. He fought against the taste of bile, taking a deep swig from the glass on the side table before managing to form coherent words. "Takara, get this pup out of me..."

At once Takara moved forward, carefully moving the blanket away, leaving Inuyasha completely revealed to the room. Bloodied fluids stained the blanket that had mere moments before been covering Inuyasha, and Takara set it below the raised entrance. "Not long, but not yet. Relax until I say, Young Sire."

_'Relax'_ that was easy to say, but right now, that word just made Inuyasha want to cry and scream at the same time. 'Relax' meant it wasn't time. 'Relax' meant he was in for more excruciating agony. 'Relax' meant something so impossible that he began to prefer crying over screaming. Oh, that was the hormones talking... He _definitely_ wasn't going to be missing those...

Suddenly he straightened up, gesturing for Nannami to hand him a further glass of water, though as he sat back he watched Sesshomaru rise to his feet silently, with an odd look in his eyes that Inuyasha could not read. "Sesshomaru, where-"  
"-I will return shortly," he said, cutting his brother off and offering an apologetic glance as he all-but darted from the room. He kept going. He kept moving swiftly, his feet barely touching the floor. He could not even find the strength to care that he was walking aimlessly, semi-naked through the halls.

Then his steps ceased as swiftly as they had begun, and he stared at the wall, rage and fear tumbling off him in waves. Claws flexed, grating into palms as they curled into fists and one raised, crashing into the wall. He felt something inside him scream, or was that aloud? He felt the bitterness and anxiety and anger of everything in the last few months collide and explode with each blow to the trembling wall. Blood cried from his torn flesh, and slowly his blows ceased as he sank down the wall to his knees, his eyes closed as his face still clenched, that bloody fist remaining against the wall. A long silence seized him as golden eyes glazed over with unwept wetness. He was glad his father couldn't see him now, so helpless and afraid. When had he become this weak? This easily disturbed and shaken?

He drew a steady breath in an attempt to calm himself, to gather himself so that he could hide these weakening emotions behind that indifferent mask once more. He felt the blood from his palm run down the wall before him and his glassy golden eyes flickered open. Why did he feel so reluctant and yet so desperate to find that mask again? Because he wanted Inuyasha to see what lay behind it, because he didn't want anyone else to know how much his half-brother had changed him? Inuyasha, that was the answer - to why he was so easily shaken, why he had only just been able to suppress the torrential tempest of emotions that erupted from him ever since this all began.

Everything he ever was, everything he ever desired to be was slipping through his fingers because of the effect his brother had on him. Because of the weakness he felt when it came to him. Even stranger, was the fact that...despite how changed he was, he would not revert back, nor give up what he had, not for the world. Rolling over to rest his back against the wall,  
blood ran down his chest as his bloody hand fell to his hip, grazing his mark lightly in reassurance to Inuyasha that he'd be back shortly. Sesshomaru tipped his head back, staring up at the ceiling, and sighing heavily.

_Father,_ he thought absently, thinking of him and his half-breed son, and how they both had weaved the threads of his life in such haphazard patterns until each threads path was indecipherable. _I understand now,_ he thought, smiling slightly, _this is how it felt when you held Izayoi, this is the same love I saw in your eyes then, and every night before that. The West, the title...they are not as important as some things, some things that I have so recently acquired - some things to protect...___

_ "When you hold your brother, you will see...you will not be able to resist loving him..." _His father had said that, but it was only now that he realised how true his sire's words had come to be.

_Father,_ he continued, licking the blood from his already healing knuckles as he turned to head back to his chambers, _I understand now. I understand everything about you...because I feel the same. Right now I feel, if Inuyasha asked me to die for him and this infant, I would gladly slit my throat on his very lap..._

Following the hall he stroked his mark absently in further assurance, a strange calm overcoming him at this recent epiphany. Suddenly the confusing storm had dissipated into crystal clear clouds. He was still concerned for Inuyasha, for the infant but at least now he knew why, he knew a lot more now, now that he understood such a simple thing, as he opened the door.

Moments passed, or perhaps they were hours? To Inuyasha they all felt the same, the contractions seemed to be getting closer but Takara gently assured him each time that they were not close enough to indicate the pup's arrival. A diligent Sesshomaru moved between massaging his back to speaking softly, the anxiety ever-present in his voice, scent and in their mark. Nannami removed the offending sick bucket, returning with another, just in case, and proceeding to reheat the 'warm' water that had since gone stone cold.

Stale though piercing agony throbbed through every inch of his body. It felt like his insides were knotting, twisting, tearing and trying to push out through his backside all at once as the once tiny entrance stretched to unbearable proportions, trembling as the flesh neared its limit. He wanted to die, he wanted it _over_. Had he realised how painful it had been he _definitely_ wouldn't have let this pregnancy progress this far. A wicked thought, he knew, and an untrue one at that. His upset, and pain and fear was building, and he wanted to cry again, he wanted to be sick again. He wanted this _over_ with...

Despite the soothing words from those in the room with him, every moment that escaped him, left him feeling worse, and feeling that it was even less likely that he would survive this to _see_ his pup at all...

Takara straightened up as he checked Inuyasha's progress for what seemed like the thousandth time, and he offered the Demon Lord a small nod before speaking. "You are ready, Inuyasha?" His hands (assisted by Sesshomaru's) seized Inuyasha hips, turning him so that he rested on his back, causing the Demon Lord's attentions to cease, and the full-force of Inuyasha's agony to crash down on him once again - in tenfold!

He couldn't believe Takara's words. He'd been longing to hear them for so long he thought at first he hadn't heard them at all, but when Sesshomaru moved behind him, the strangely comforting warmth of his embrace encircling him, Inuyasha registered them. The truth in them rang through when a sharp, unbearable pain seemed to slice through his body. Entrance straining, threatening to tear as he felt something push against it - his pup?

Takara parted his legs a little more, looking up to meet the gaze of both brothers. "I can see it, you are ready, Young Sire, with the next contraction, push into the pain."  
Inuyasha nodded, not really sure what he meant, not really sure if he wanted this to happen. He didn't know what to do. What if he did something wrong?  
"I can't..."  
"You can-"  
"-Make the pain stop..."  
"It will stop soon, I promise you," Nannami assured him, "_Trust_ me. Now push."

Inuyasha felt more blood, he _felt_ more than heard his own scream tear his throat, he pushed down into the pain, his clawed fingers pressing firmly on his stomach in an attempt to alleviate the pain. "Sire, don't fight it," Takara ordered, Sesshomaru yanking Inuyasha's hands off his stomach and replacing them with his own.  
"If you bear into it the pain will go away and it will be over," the Demoness promised once more, and Inuyasha nodded again, fangs sinking into his fist once more as he tried to push down.

"Ahh...FUCK!" He growled, tipping his head back. His fangs grinded together, the metallic taste of his own blood filling his mouth and all-but stinging his tongue. His breath caught in his chest as he pushed. He winced. It didn't feel like it did anything but threaten to tear the agonised flesh of his orifice. It wasn't working. And he was so tired...

"Fuck..." He panted, head tipping back to rest against Sesshomaru. "It hurts...I'm not doing it right-"  
"-You are doing it fine. Better than most," Takara cut across him, pushing his legs further apart.  
"You are stronger than this," Sesshomaru breathed in his ears, clawed fingers stroking the tops of his thighs softly, "just keep going, it is nearly over." He felt so strange offering such comfort and warmth to Inuyasha in front of others, but something about Inuyasha looking so shattered and defenceless just...drew him in.

The pain returned, he bore into it. His cursing, his breath, his words fused into nothing more than incoherent, successive panting gasps, punctured with agonised cries. Tears streaked down his cheeks again. _"Brave"_ Sesshomaru called him that._ "I am here"_ he was sure he'd heard that amongst the soft platitudes. But what captured him most was the difference in the pain, because he knew it was nearly over perhaps, or perhaps it was just that - _different._

He screamed as his body groaned in exhaustion and negation. Tired, abused muscles all-but refused to work anymore. He was sure his backside would never be useable in _any_ capacity; he was partially unable to _feel_ it! The inner muscles clenched and unclenched with each effort, his body struggling to push his pup free, as it pressed against his stinging, stretched skin with each push. Air and blood alike stung the cuts that stretched across the sensitive skin and alarming numbness began to spread up through his tense thighs to the rest of his broken body.

Suddenly, he felt something. "Shit, ah _shit_...I'm...Sesshomaru I'm tearing..." His claws bit down into the bedding below, his toes pawing uselessly at the end of tensed legs as he pushed one last time, something slipping free - smaller than he'd imagined, though still _far_ too big considering where it was passing through. Takara's fingers, _they_ were something he was all-too aware of as they edged in too, seeking to capture the infant's shoulders and twisting them slightly until they came free, the rest of the tiny body following to land in a small, struggling mess on the sheets.

There was no sound at first, and Inuyasha fell back into Sesshomaru, staring at Takara, his body seeming to almost fall back into place, the pain ebbing away a little, and the servant leant forwards, swiftly laying a small, bloody body on his chest, before hurrying to get the afterbirth out of him. But Inuyasha wasn't aware of anything - Takara and Nannami's voices, they fell away. He could see the silently struggling form on his chest, its tiny body supported by Sesshomaru's comparably large hands that cradled it against Inuyasha's chest gently.

_So small_, that was all he could manage to think as he smiled at the pup, stroking the blood off its face with the edge of the blanket that surrounded it, concealing its gender from him. But he didn't care so much for that, his pup was alive - _he_ was alive with it, alive to see it, that was all that mattered. He was vaguely aware of the afterbirth following his pup onto the bedding, _not_ aware at _all_ of Nannami whisking it away, or of Takara cleaning him and the sheets. He was not aware of anything around him, except what was right in front of him.

_What was it?_ He wondered. Gender didn't really matter now that he'd seen it - he was in love with it already regardless. Though lengthy silver curls stained with blood and other nasty fluids were not really a distinguishing point in _their_ family. He'd never had much luck with girls, and a boy _would_ be easier to deal with (at least he would know how its body worked without having to ask Nannami) but if he pulled back the blanket now and discovered _female_ anatomy, he wouldn't be disappointed. Boy or girl, it was irrelevant, though all these months had passed without him or Sesshomaru conjuring a name between them, so identifying the newborn's gender would be helpful, as well as unavoidable.

Weak, clawed fingers pushed back the blanket slowly, until he could see what he sought, and his smile broadened, he even thought he could sense such a thing playing across Sesshomaru's lips. The evidence of the smile sounded in Sesshomaru's voice, his soft words only heard by his mate, who lay transfixed with the pup in his embrace.  
"Our daughter, Inuyasha."

The Half-demon nodded slightly, the tiny body stretching, rising and falling with his every breath. From her neck to her backside she couldn't have even been as long as his hand. Tiny hands could barely clasp around his fingers, but long, whispery, tendrils of silver hair hung low, stained with his blood, her eyes not yet open to look upon her parents.

A small pang of disappointment reached him as two, tiny appendages struggled amidst the untidy mass of silver hair - ears, like his own. _She's full-demon though,_ Inuyasha assured himself, his fingertips flickering over the puppy ears gently,_ it doesn't matter if she has a half-demon's ears - she has a demon's blood..._

He couldn't find fault with her, granted he despised his own ears but it was nice to see something of his alongside the pup which currently he thought could only be Sesshomaru's daughter - she was exactly like him, with a few more obvious exceptions. Crimson crests adorned her cheeks and eyelids, and a few more were just visible from within the bloodied blanket, on her wrists (No crescent moon though, he noted). And Inuyasha knew that if he pushed the blanket back there would be more on her hips as well.

Again, the smirk was evident in Sesshomaru's voice, as his own hand came to stroke the marks adorning her cheeks. "I believe she has inherited more demonic traits than half-demon, does that displease you?"  
Inuyasha watched the pale fingers admire their pup's ears thoughtfully, and he would have smiled if he had possessed the energy.  
"No," he answered quietly, "she's perfect." It was such an odd concept, that he found something so beautiful. He never would have guessed he would have loved another girl as much as Kagome or his mother, yet here this miracle was, and it was the most unique kind of love that had ever graced his being. He didn't love anyone like this, nothing began to compare.

Like Inuyasha, Sesshomaru had fallen silent, remaining speechless for some time. Like so many other things now, he understood this also. His father had not loved him or Inuyasha any more or less than the other. He understood now, how it was possible for someone to love more than one being with all their heart, there were as many different forms of love as there were stars in the perfect sky this night, he could see that now. The once _'futile'_ emotion had become so very important to him within just a few short moments, it was as if this bloodied, wriggling creature had opened his yes too see the people around them for what they really were. People he loved.

"Indeed," the Demon Lord said at last, breaking the silence, "as long as she does not possess your temperament."  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes.  
"Oh and yours is better? He who poisons his mate and caused the conception of his daughter to be a drunken act?"  
Sesshomaru said nothing, merely shifted slightly, allowing Inuyasha to fall more comfortably against him, and pulled the blanket around them once he saw that Takara and Nannami had quite finished cleaning up his brother's body.

_Best and only drunken act I ever performed,_ Inuyasha mentally added, his grip on the girl tightening as he felt Takara's approach.

"Lord Inuyasha, will you permit me to wash her for you?" He always asked permission, even though he knew there was no way Inuyasha could refuse if he wished to avoid his newly born daughter from getting an infection - or _worse_. The little body curled towards Inuyasha's chest as Takara moved her. The Half-demon's hands pressing into Sesshomaru's legs to support him as he struggled to sit up a little straighter, in order to watch Takara lower his pup into the shallow water. She cried, the quiet, distant little sound disturbing him yet causing his ears to perk slightly, taking in the first sounds the new little voice made.

Crimson blood and other unwanted bodily fluids stained the once clean water. Soft pink skin was showing through, and silver tresses almost glimmered with each flicker of moonlight the strands caught.

"You must rest in bed for a few days, even weeks, My Lord," Nannami advised, wrapping the newborn in a yellow swaddling cloth, before passing her carefully to Sesshomaru who had gotten up to get a better look at his daughter now she was clean. "Do not get up except to relieve yourself, Sire. Food and drink will be brought to you. The Childbed period is advisable, if you hope to make a speedy recovery."  
Inuyasha nodded tiredly. It was somewhat nicer to have a woman tell him about these things. As much as he trusted Takara, there were simply some things only a female could know about.

"How long will I be like this?" Inuyasha managed out, as Takara and Nannami both eased him back into the sheets, propped up slightly by the pillows.  
"Weeks, maybe even a month. You are a half-demon, so it is unclear. Though I expect, at the most 2 months - that being the maximum time for recovery most humans possess." Inuyasha nodded again, the thought of being bedridden and so pathetically weak for a further two months causing an uncomfortable twinge to surface, so that he was relieved for it to be shoved aside by the sight of Sesshomaru at the end of the bed.

It was somewhat _odd_ (to say the least) seeing the stoic Demon Lord that had once made his life a misery, now coddling a small bundle with pride emanating from him, accompanied by a slightly awed expression crossing his once untouchable features. The little girl possessed his very unreadable expression - such a solemn little look becoming her that was so identical to his own it was awe-inspiring. Like her 'father' she remained impassive with every breath, blinking large eyes at him with the same look. And there was definitely something different, something softer, and less stern about her features, something that could only be identified as Inuyasha.

"We will just leave you then," Takara added softly, he and Nannami gathering the things and departing quietly. "Rin and Kazuki will come in when Lord Sesshomaru sends for her."  
Sesshomaru nodded in answer just before the door closed. He approached the side of the bed, watching his brother stare up at him weakly, his arms escaping the blankets to reach for his daughter. For a moment the Demon Lord did not respond, but then he stooped to tuck the infant into the Half-demon's chest carefully, Inuyasha's arms encircling and supporting her as he felt his body relax back into the bed now that the new little life was back in his grasp.

Inuyasha let an exhausted sigh shudder past his lips, staring down into the also tired little face as the little girl yawned widely, pawing at her now opened, large amber eyes with her tiny clawed hands. Those eyes, so deep and more vibrant than either of theirs, stared up at her parents solemnly.

The Half-demon couldn't help the smile that reached his lips as he watched her. Brushing her rogue silver tresses away from her face, he felt a strange swell of contentment as his finger was seized and held captive in her tiny fist. "Someone's got one hell of a grip," he muttered with a smirk, curling his arm round her as she nuzzled into the warmth of his chest as far as she could go. The downy ears atop his head perked slightly to capture the soft little sigh she emitted, resting his head against the pillow sleepily, though watching her every breath closely.

"Are you alright?" Sesshomaru asked him gently, sitting down on the bed beside Inuyasha, looking over both his mate and his new daughter (which he was not as irritated about as Inuyasha had expected - in fact he seemed generally pleased she was female). Inuyasha just sighed again, nodding slightly.  
"I thought I couldn't do it...but I'm glad I did..."  
"I knew you could," Sesshomaru replied, leaning over and running his fingers gently down the pup's spine, the smallest of smiles twitching at the corners of his lips when he heard the little whimper pass her lips as she stretched slowly.

"You did well," he said to Inuyasha, causing the Half-demon to look at him, though Inuyasha noticed his mate did not tear his eyes away from the pup as he crooned over her. He wasn't jealous of her as such, but he had the oddest desire for some kind of affection from Sesshomaru too, after all that had happened. Only then did he realise, that as expected, his time of being practically adored by Sesshomaru had expired.

_I don't care,_ he thought tiredly, looking back to his daughter thoughtfully, _as long as she's okay, I don't care about anything else... _As if she knew his thoughts, the child squeezed his finger gently, before moving closer against his chest. He was tired, he ached everywhere, and there was a throbbing pain in his backside, not to mention an uncomfortable emptiness in his stomach, but his pup was alive and healthy, and he could care less about anything else that tried to ruin that. He admired her carefully, inhaling her scent and unwillingly breathing it out. She was so beautiful...

Sesshomaru pulled the covers round the two of them, before sitting back and looking over them again. "She is beautiful. I am proud of both of you."  
Inuyasha had to hold back from purring as Sesshomaru caressed his ears gently, though did not hesitate to lean his head slightly into contact, appreciating the gentle fondness in those touches. He looked around, seeing Sesshomaru smirk at the sign of his desire for affection, and felt bliss swell in his chest as the Demon lord laid down behind Inuyasha. Propping himself up on his elbow, he curled his free arm round his mate and pup, still staring down at the both of them as if he dared not believe either were truly there.

"You're still being nice to me?" Inuyasha asked quietly, the hormones keeping him from holding his tongue.  
"You are being paranoid again, Little Brother..." Sesshomaru answered impassively, though when he leaned over a little more, so that Inuyasha could see his eyes, an indescribable emotion flickered within them. "...Inuyasha...My Mate..."

Inuyasha bit his lip, before tilting his head to the side slightly and pressing his weak lips against Sesshomaru's. The Demon pushed back gently, his hand coming about to smooth Inuyasha's sweat-dampened-hair from his face, parting their kiss to lay another on the mating mark on the Half-demon's shoulder, before laying back a little.

"Sesshomaru-" A hand placed gently over his lips stopped his words, and he stared at his brother in confusion.  
"I think that...that I am incapable of speaking the words you desire to hear so strongly," he said, his voice wavering slightly, as Inuyasha had never heard it before. But Sesshomaru stared at him with intensity in his eyes that felt...right somehow. "I do not think I will ever be able to say those words - to anyone, however I...I wish for you to know, that I feel it all the same..."

Golden eyes widened, and Inuyasha blinked, not sure he dared believe what he was hearing. "W-What? Are you...you saying that you love me-?" That hand was against his lips once more, and Sesshomaru was so close he could feel his breath on his cheeks, and his heartbeat racing against his skin.  
"I adore you, I indulge you, I desire and worship you, I can say any of those things, because they are the truth. But the one truth I wish to divulge to you...I cannot force out of my mouth. But you understand?"  
A hazy breath shuddered past the Half-demon's lips, and he blinked with wide eyes up at his brother, feeling his daughter stir from her doze at his side. But his eyes were trained on Sesshomaru.  
"You...love me?"  
Sesshomaru said nothing, but the flicker of such an emotion was evident in his eyes now. Inuyasha had seen the stoic Demon Lord look at him like that before - but only now did he realise it for what it truly was. This was...more than he dared to believe.

Suddenly, the moment was broken by an upset whimper, that steadily grew into a small cry - not piercing or furious, though upsetting all the same to hear from something so small and fragile. Inuyasha panicked a little, not sure what to do, until he felt a strange sense of hurtful understanding ebb at his chest where mere moments before he felt so happy. "She's hungry," he said, not looking at Sesshomaru. The Demon Lord rose to his feet, departing the room with one final glance back at his new family. When he returned a mere moment after, the same dark-haired beauty Inuyasha had met not long ago was close behind.

The Half-demon cradled his daughter a little tighter to his body as Kokoro smiled warmly at him. It was only really now that he realised why he disliked her, even though she'd done nothing wrong, and was otherwise a perfectly nice, kind person - he didn't want anyone touching his pup. This little girl that seemed to be pawing his chest in confusion as to why _he_ wasn't feeding her may have been new to him, but she was the most precious thing he had, and he didn't want some woman - some _anybody_ to touch and hold, and feed his daughter when it should have been him that did it. He didn't know whether it was instinct or just his own possessiveness, (that had peeked out more than once when it came to Kagome, and hell even Sesshomaru some times) but he hated the fact that there was something in the world that he couldn't give this precious little life, and this woman could.

Kokoro sat in the chair beside the bed, before looking to Inuyasha, obviously awaiting him to hand her the infant. Inuyasha gnawed his lip, and leant over, feeling a pang of guilt as the child's cries grew louder, as he passed her into the Demoness' arms - he felt like he was failing her already, and she'd not even been with him long. Kokoro smiled down at the infant, cooing gently to her as she adjusted her sleeping yukata, lowering it to expose her right breast. Inuyasha frowned as the baby screamed louder than ever, not taking to the exposed tip.

Far from blushing, Inuyasha sat up further, arm stretched out, ready to snatch his daughter back, but Sesshomaru stopped him. "She is fine, Inuyasha."  
"How can you say that?" he spat back, his ears slicked back against his skull, feeling ill at hearing the child cry out in such distress. "She's screaming! I have to-"  
"-Our daughter is fine, Inuyasha, she is just confused. She knows the scent of you, and is merely perplexed that you are not the one offering her food, that is all. Eventually she will come to understand that Kokoro's scent is where she gets her food from," he assured him, but Inuyasha just stared at the pup, sitting back awkwardly, using all his control just to let this continue.

Eventually, Kokoro stroked alongside the girl's jaw line gently with her smooth fingertips, protruding her chest a little, and the baby turned towards her at last, latching onto her exposed breast. The silence was almost deafening. Inuyasha's ears flickered, before drooping slightly. He watched Kokoro reproachfully, a confusing, angry hurt at seeing another holding, snuggling and cooing to his daughter where _he_ should have been doing it so soon after her birth, burned in his chest. He bit his lip defiantly, ashamed of his childish jealousy. A few moments passed, in which he struggled, until, eventually he snapped.

Inuyasha shifted, scooting (with great effort) over to the side of the bed opposite to where Sesshomaru and Kokoro sat, and pulled on his sleeping kimono that lay at the side, before struggling to his feet. Sesshomaru immediately shot up. "What are you doing? Sit back down immediately."  
Inuyasha ignored him, stumbling over to the door without so much as looking back at him, and shutting it roughly behind him. Kokoro sighed softly, looking sadly after Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru regarded her with a questioning expression.

"I apologise for Inuyasha, Kokoro," Sesshomaru muttered, heading over to the door. However, the Demoness' voice held him back for a moment.  
"Lord Inuyasha is sensitive, Lord Sesshomaru," she said in her usual dulcet tones, "It will take him a while to get used to someone else experiencing something that - to him is so important with his pup."  
The Demon Lord looked to her once more, none-the-wiser.  
"Please excuse me, I will return shortly," he said, bowing his head to her politely, before following after Inuyasha.

It took him mere moments to find Inuyasha, thanks to the pain and exertion, the Half-demon was finding movement more and more impossible. His palms clung to the walls of the hallway, trying to remain standing, but as Sesshomaru approached him, he felt his quavering legs give way beneath him and he fell to his knees. "Cease this foolishness," Sesshomaru growled, his tone almost scolding as he seized his fallen mate round the waist, and pulled him against his chest and stood upright. "You must remain in bed, overexerting yourself so soon after giving birth will only-"  
"-I won't go back in there..." Inuyasha interrupted him, his voice barely above a whisper. "I...I just don't want to. I can't..."

Sesshomaru growled quietly, smelling the blood leaking from his mate's abused body. "Come, Inuyasha." Pushing the door open, He winced as his Little Brother's claws grazed him in an attempt to make him let go, though did not until the moment he lowered the pained form onto the bed once more, watching those muscles clench in agony. _Serves him right for being so foolish_, he growled mentally.

Sitting back from it all, Kokoro watched the brothers carefully, rocking the child in her embrace slowly to calm her each time she tried to pull away to see what was causing the pain she felt radiating from Inuyasha. The Half-demon's skin paled with the cold, fingers shaking slightly from the blood loss, and Sesshomaru pulled the blankets up over the vulnerable body before moving across the room, apparently occupying himself with something on the mantel.

"I will be in the room down the hall, Lord Inuyasha," Kokoro said at last, though Inuyasha did not respond. "Lord Sesshomaru will come get me when the pup needs her feed. Would I be right in assuming you will do everything else for her?"  
"Yes," Inuyasha answered swiftly, his quiet voice burdened by bitterness. Kokoro smiled, eyes watching him still as he stared over at her and his daughter, who continued to feed greedily.

Suddenly the infant released her, small hands curling into fists as that same growing whimper returned. Kokoro leant forwards as the Half-demon sat up slightly in the bed and the woman handed the small girl back to Inuyasha, before stepping backwards from the bedside. The Half-demon frowned as the distressed whimper grew louder, and his ears slicked back in an attempt to escape the sound. He didn't know what to do. She struggled in his embrace, face screwed up as if in pain, and he didn't know how to make her stop.

Sesshomaru turned to face them, watching his family with silent apprehension, his anxiety surging upon realising that Inuyasha knew even less than he about children. His fangs grated together in irritation. Why hadn't he had the forethought or common sense to ask Nannami or Takara for some form of advice? Did he think they would just raise a child on guess-work?

Leaning forward, Kokoro smiled awkwardly, placing a hand on the pup's back and pressing her into Inuyasha's chest gently. "If she fusses, hold her to your chest and stroke her back - perhaps even lightly rock her, Young Sire."  
Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably, though did as she advised, tugging the blanket up under the girl's head where it rested on his chest. Mimicking what he'd seen the demoness do, Inuyasha rocked her gently, eyes widening in disbelief as her cries dulled slowly.

Kokoro sat back further, pulling her kimono shut around herself once more. "You should try talking to her, Sire." To this, Inuyasha blinked dumbly at her. He was so tired, too tired to comprehend much at all, and his body ached and burned all over, but if he gave in to his exhaustion Kokoro would have the baby again, and something about that thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.  
"Talk to her?" he asked in disbelief. Kokoro continued to smile.  
"Certainly," she answered, "she can't understand what you're saying yet, but if you talk softly to her it will calm her. Trust me, My Lord," she added, when he looked like he didn't believe her. But even if he took her word for it, what was he supposed to say?

Flushing awkwardly, Inuyasha tipped his daughter's head against him once more, whispering in a flickering downy ear. Suddenly her cries were interrupted by a quiet burp, Inuyasha looking slightly surprised at the shrill little noise.  
"That happens after they eat sometimes," Kokoro assured him, "Do not worry."  
Inuyasha looked at her, and then at the pup again, as Kokoro gathered herself to her feet, bowing slightly before departing the room without another sound.

At last Sesshomaru moved forwards, coming to stand at the side of the bed, and gazing down at Inuyasha and the pup. "Are you alright? I sensed blood from you earlier."  
Inuyasha didn't answer, merely resting back into the pillows, eyes closing against the room. He was so tired...

He felt the bed dip slightly with Sesshomaru's weight, and the Demon's warmth hovered near his body. Was his brother really so foolish as to be blind to what caused him this pain? Inuyasha shook his head at that, shaking loose those bitter thoughts. It wasn't Sesshomaru's fault; he shouldn't take this out on him...

"Inuyasha?" at the sound of his name, Inuyasha's lashes fluttered, his eyes opening to see his brother leaning over him. "I would ask that you trouble me with your pain, let me help you."  
To this Inuyasha sighed heavily, rolling onto his side slowly and laying the infant next to him, cradling her against his chest.  
"I'm just tired, that's all don't worry about it," he assured him huskily, tipping his head to the side and against the Demon's shoulder. Sesshomaru murmured almost inaudible endearments in his ear, stroking downy hair softly before settling back into the sheets also, and pressing a kiss to his bother's forehead. "Inuyasha?" he asked, though the soft sound of unconscious breath was enough to tell him that the Half-demon had fallen prey to slumber. Glancing down slightly, he noted the child staring sleepily up at Inuyasha, its thumb in its mouth.

Not able to prevent the smile that tweaked at the corners of his mouth, Sesshomaru reached down, running his claws gently, over silver curls. "So you were the little pest that persisted in kicking me in the back, hn?" He smirked as the child made a soft cooing noise at him. His voice was soft, not harsh and cold as most others had become accustomed to. "A child born of two males, a child that brought two brothers closer together," he murmured, "Your conception has brought about some astounding occurrences, my daughter, I would say that makes you some kind of miracle..."

* * *

It would have not made the slightest bit of difference to the Inuyasha-and-Kokoro situation if their first night with the pup _had_ been a peaceful one, though it may have helped Sesshomaru to retain some energy to deal with his duties to both Inuyasha and the West patiently. Sadly, the newborn being what she was, woke every two hours or more, dragging both lords from their slumber just as they'd managed to doze back off again. And Inuyasha, (being who _he_ was) was all too reluctant to let the infant beyond his sight and so Kokoro was dragged into the room, to do her job awkwardly under Inuyasha's ill-tempered gaze.

This confusing sulking continued for some days after that. Inuyasha was not recovering from childbirth as quickly as Sesshomaru would have liked (though Takara assured him that for a half-demon, this rate of recovery was perfectly normal). At first he thought it may have been just general grumpiness at not having the freedom he might have liked, but he quickly realised this was not the case.

Takara very willingly took on the majority of Sesshomaru's legal obligations, though unfortunately due to the time the pup chose to arrive, all the guests insisted upon staying until they got to see the new daughter to the western lands - which Inuyasha refused to allow. This of course, adding to Sesshomaru's instinctual need to be with his mate all the time, meant he had a lot to tend to in any case.

Due to his brother's vulnerability, Sesshomaru forbid anyone besides himself, Takara, Kokoro, Rin, Kazuki and Nannami to enter his chambers where Inuyasha and the pup were at all times, and Inuyasha in turn refused to allow the pup out of his line of reach, even Kokoro had to sit beside the bed to feed her.

"All these additional bodies in the castle are stifling," Sesshomaru complained to Takara as they made their way towards his and Inuyasha's chambers. "There must be something done."  
Takara smiled.  
"They politely insist upon seeing your daughter, My Lord," he responded, "in any case, the naming ceremony to bless her will occur in a few short weeks, many think they may just as well remain until that is over, since they must attend that anyway-"  
"-A further two weeks with these simpering fools?" Sesshomaru questioned irately. Inuyasha and the lack of sleep had both been testing his nerves recently, and resulted in this irritated lack of patience.

"Inuyasha's childbed period has yet to end, and has asked me not to take the pup out of the room - he scarcely releases her except to allow Kokoro to feed her, which he sulks about every time..."  
"Is it not good that Inuyasha loves her so much, Sire?" Takara asked softly, understanding the confusion in Sesshomaru's voice. Being abandoned by his own mother at such a time would of course render him unable to see where this protectiveness that Inuyasha possessed stemmed from. Despite this, Takara found himself ever so slightly amused by the lack of calm in his Lord's voice._ Fatherhood is treating him...quite well,_ he thought, still smiling. "In any case, what is the purpose for which you have summoned me?" Sesshomaru paused by the door to his chambers, and as did Takara, though they did not enter.

"Inuyasha," The Demon Lord said at last, for the first (though not the last) time in his life sounding exasperated.  
"Inuyasha?"  
"Nannami and Kokoro may continue their hushed suspicions behind their backs if they wish, but Inuyasha has been...upset almost constantly in everyone's presence but the Pup's - I believe he may be suffering from depression."  
Takara raised a brow, evidently surprised that Sesshomaru even knew what 'depression' was.  
"And you propose I...?"  
"Fix it," Sesshomaru answered simply, "Give him herbal remedies or _something_ but for the love of the Gods rid him of this petulant sulking."

The smile on Takara's face broadened in amusement. "I have not heard you speak like that since you were a boy." Sesshomaru frowned in confusion at his advisor's words.  
"Like what?"  
"Informal..._worried_."  
"I am no such thing. I merely detest such childish behaviour from someone who is far from being a child."  
A daring teasing reached Takara's voice with his next words.  
"As I have said, Inuyasha is still very young. And if you were not worried," he paused, opening the door before continuing, "then why would you call me here?"

* * *

Inuyasha smiled as he flicked the lukewarm water gently over the baby's pink skin, supporting her on his lap with his free arm while he bathed her. "I really have to think of a name for you," he muttered softly, climbing carefully out of the shallow water and wrapping a towel around the both of them before venturing back into the adjoined bedroom. "But I'm not exactly a creative person..." He stared down at her as he set her down on the bed, drying her surprisingly long silver locks before wrapping her in the pale-pink swaddling cloth. "Still, I can't keep calling you 'pup' all the time, now can I?" Large amber eyes stared up at him, her mouth twitching into a smile that he easily returned, before leaning back onto the bed slowly with her laying against his chest.

Suddenly the door opened, and in walked Sesshomaru, shortly followed by Takara. Like a chain reaction, Inuyasha's smile faded, and he sat up slightly, his daughter seizing a fistful of the silver hair that draped over his shoulders.  
"Lord Sesshomaru suggested I come see you a little earlier today, Lord Inuyasha," Takara said happily, sitting down at the edge of the bed. Inuyasha looked to Sesshomaru briefly, before meeting Takara's gaze, confused. "He says you've been feeling down lately."  
"Sulking is the term I used, I believe," Sesshomaru interrupted, causing Inuyasha to scowl.  
"Screw you, Jackass, I was perfectly fine being here alone so go piss off." The Half-demon pulled the baby close to his chest, as if expecting one of them might try and tear her away at any given moment, though Takara continued to smile.  
"Kokoro says you seem..._uncomfortable_ when she comes to feed the pup," he suggested, and it was then that hopeful golden eyes stared at him, and he knew what that meant. That Inuyasha had finally found someone who understood what was wrong.

Takara sighed sadly. "Is that the problem? I realise it must be difficult, and I know you are hurt by it however...breast feeding is not something you can learn - and you _must_ know that there is no comparison to her-" he gestured to the little girl now gnawing on Inuyasha's hand with her gums, "-who is the better between you two." Inuyasha growled, looking to his daughter in order to avoid the shame he would feel in meeting Sesshomaru's eyes when he uttered the following words.

"The way she nuzzles into that wench, I'll _never_ have that with her - and I can't stand it!" he growled quietly.  
"And what do you propose we do?" responded Sesshomaru, an edge of bitterness in his voice. "You are blowing this out of proportion - you cannot do it so there is no sense complaining about it."  
Inuyasha sneered, and Takara stared at his lord.  
"It is not Inuyasha's fault he feels this way, My Lord," the Servant protested gently, "You must understand that his emotions are out of control currently - and besides which, he holds different ideas of parenthood to you and I-"  
"It doesn't matter," Inuyasha interrupted, "I don't care what he has to say, he doesn't care-"  
"-But _you_ must understand also, My Lord," Takara said to Inuyasha, acting on his role as peacekeeper, "that Lord Sesshomaru _cannot_ comprehend the reasons behind your emotions because he is accustomed to self-important demonesses who do not _want_ to feed their offspring - not because they do not love them necessarily - but simply because during feeding the infant takes not only nutrients but demon energy from the nurse, a lot of mothers do not wish to suffer that lack of power."  
"But I don't _care_! I just can't stand watching that girl feed _my_ pup, bonding with her in a way that only a mother should - and yeah, okay I admit it, technically I am her mother." As his statement still permeated the air, Inuyasha's gaze passed from Sesshomaru, to Takara and then back to the child in his lap once more.

"I hate it when she cries when she's hungry for something I can't give her. I'm supposed to protect her! I'm screwing up already if I can't-"  
"What do you want from me?" Sesshomaru asked, cutting Inuyasha across with his bitter tone. He'd tried to do everything for him, and give everything to Inuyasha, but what had him so irritated was the fact that he'd not understood something his mate had wanted. And his mouth was moving in thoughtless anger, and he didn't even know why he was saying any of these things at all. "Our daughter needs food and you cannot provide it, do you suggest she starve to death?"  
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Takara's words were all but a shout, and it startled Sesshomaru a little to hear them directed at him - particularly when they originated from _Takara's_ mouth.

"Please, Sire," Takara continued, his voice softer once more, "You and a lot of other demons might see some parts of raising a pup as mediocre, but Inuyasha _wants_ to do them-"  
"-So you are insinuating that I am wrong?" Sesshomaru shot at him. Takara sighed heavily in exasperation.  
"No, My Lord, I am merely telling you what your mate wants, so you can cease this needless arguing. True, you cannot fix the problem, but you _can_ be sensitive to it."

The words sounded slightly condescending, though Sesshomaru let it slide, if only to stop the arguing and to get Inuyasha to stop sulking. Maybe if the shouting and the sulking ceased, he would let him back into the time like before the birth, where they had been getting along - back to a time similar to when he'd all-but confessed his innermost feelings, which Inuyasha had yet to reciprocate.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru managed to say as softly as possible, moving to touch his mate, only to have the Half-demon turn from him slightly.  
"Don't touch me."  
A frown creased the Demon Lord's brow.  
"You are overreacting-"  
"-Yeah, I'm always _overreacting_ aren't I?" Inuyasha spat sarcastically, "There's nothing wrong with _you_ - it's always something wrong with me - the _filthy half-breed_-"  
"-Inuyasha-"  
"-Just leave me alone! I don't want to look at you anymore, you're a liar and I...I just...I thought you understood - I thought you _cared_ - you're just a-"

Suddenly Sesshomaru surged forwards, seizing Inuyasha's free-wrist roughly, causing him to wince.  
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Takara gasped, leaping to his feet, but Sesshomaru ignored him. His face was dangerously close to Inuyasha's. The Demon was was livid, and the girl in his mate's arms was beginning to fuss at the anger radiating off her 'mother and father' in waves.  
"You dare call me a liar?" he growled, but Inuyasha didn't back away.  
"I _dare_," he retorted, "you lied about what you said to me the other day."  
Sesshomaru's anger flared even more at the notion of the 'revealing' of his feelings being thrown back in his face and branded a lie. It just caused the hurt fury to swell within his chest (especially since it had been particularly difficult to do).

"Insufferable, presumptuous little _brat_," he all-but snarled, vaguely aware of Takara preparing himself to separate them if they didn't do so themselves. "_I _have done everything you wanted, I have given you anything you asked for, flattered and _worshipped_ you, and you toss my attentions aside so carelessly. You accuse me of _lying_?" It was then that his grip on Inuyasha's wrist tightened, his other hand raising to strike - Inuyasha flinched, readying himself for the blow, his daughter screaming by this time, and Takara threw himself forward, seizing his Lord's arm defiantly with all his strength, stopping him from striking Inuyasha.  
"Lord Sesshomaru," Takara muttered softly, not releasing the Demon Lord, both of them frozen there, even though Sesshomaru seemed to have refrained continuing with his blow of his own accord. Sesshomaru's fangs grinded against each other in fury, as crimson flashed across his eyes - eyes that never left Inuyasha.

The Half-demon scooted backwards slightly, turning to his daughter and bouncing her in his arms slightly as he pressed her against his chest, attempting to hush her, (still not very confident in caring for a child). Though like Sesshomaru, he could not take his eyes off his mate - a slight quavering fear and anger within his golden orbs. Would Sesshomaru have actually struck him just then? Had he been able to read the Demon Lord's thoughts at that moment, he would have realised the answer...

_That quivering fear is needless, _Sesshomaru thought bitterly, Takara loyally releasing his hold on his arm. _As much as I may wish to, striking my mate is not something I will allow myself to do any longer - particularly when he is holding my pup..._

He'd just felt so angry and...strangely _hurt_ just then, when Inuyasha doubted the difficult exposure of his feelings, and had (perhaps inadvertently) upset him further by disregarding all of his tireless efforts to make him happy.

Slowly, he tore his eyes from Inuyasha and his now silent pup, moving swiftly over to the door, and opening it, but not before pausing in the doorway as he spoke. "When you cease being such an insecure, selfish little brat you may just grasp the concept that _you_ are not the only one that suffers within this relationship, Inuyasha. I have made sacrifices also." With that, he disappeared through the door, closing it behind him.

* * *

The busy, bustling halls of the castle died slowly as dusk settled across the Western lands, blanketing the domain with a cool darkness. Stars glimmered overhead like the moon, occasionally peeking out from behind the clouds. Sesshomaru did not return to his chambers (and Inuyasha) all day, instead he ignored his bothersome instincts that demanded to be near his mate and newborn, and busied himself with the distracting events of the castle.

Legal duties were tended to, he ate lunch with Rin and Kazuki, dinner with his many exhausting 'guests' and afterwards even bothered to pretend to listen to their simpering complaints that they had yet to see his daughter, and other such tiresome things. Yet, as silence descended upon his home, the Demon Lord ascended the stairs, and approached that familiar door to his chambers. He didn't really understand what called him there, but he had a vague idea, and he knew his mind would not rest until he had at least attempted to resolve things with Inuyasha.

All day, a miserable burn was conveyed to him through the mark from Inuyasha, and it had hurt so much more than his own suffering. Not for the first nor last time, he'd pondered his actions. Had he been insensitive to Inuyasha's wants regarding the Pup? True, he had been rather strict and tactless when it came to this 'feeding issue', and even though it wasn't his fault, it wasn't Inuyasha's either.

This was how he had come to identify his feelings towards that irritating little half-breed as love - _no one_ made him regret his actions or words, _no one_ made him _this_ miserable, and pursued his every waking thought... No one made him want to be with them every moment of every day... Except Inuyasha. And as difficult to deal with, as irritating and stubborn the Half-demon might be, Sesshomaru was somehow captivated by him, drawn to him in the same way a moth was to a flame, regardless of the impending doom.

Inuyasha... He wasn't a release or an escape from the cruel, harsh world, but he did in every possible way make him feel, and think and..._stop_ to appreciate the things in life that were worth living for. And Inuyasha, he was that (however much it hurt his pride to admit), he was worth the difficult moments, and the arguing - he was worth living for.

_Regardless,_ Sesshomaru thought as he paused outside his door, noting that all was silent within the room. _I would treasure a little 'niceness' from him more often, one would think with the pup here he might try to be more of a family..._

Slowly (almost cautiously) he opened the door. _Another thing that brat does,_ Sesshomaru thought, _causes me to dread entering my own chambers. _  
Upon entering, he stalled the moment he would have to risk looking around the room, by closing the door carefully. But as the door offered a quiet 'clicking' sound signalling it was properly closed, he found he could postpone it no longer. He raised his eyes to Inuyasha, who was standing by the right side of the bed, setting the evidently sleeping pup down in the bassinet and tucking her in carefully. The Half-demon's ears flickered slightly, and Sesshomaru knew he was aware of his presence.

"You are able to stand," Sesshomaru acknowledged, moving further into the room apprehensively. Inuyasha turned to face him, their eyes locking silently for a brief moment, before the younger sibling climbed back into the bed and pulling the covers up as he lay on his side, ignoring his older brother.

It took all that Sesshomaru had not to sigh with exasperation. He was tired, emotionally and physically, and just wanted this atmosphere between them to dissipate. Pondering his next move on how to make that happen however, left him standing there thoughtfully, even as Inuyasha blew out the candles beside the bed. "You can come to bed," Inuyasha said, feigned gruffness in his voice, "I ain't gonna bite you..." Never this confused about anyone before, Sesshomaru lowered himself to his side of the bed, stripping himself exhaustedly, before joining Inuyasha beneath the sheets.

An odd warmth greeted him as he slid beneath the blankets, not only from Inuyasha's body that was painfully close to his own, but from somewhere within himself - and his mark, and he realised, that unpleasant emotion that had accompanied Inuyasha's misery all day had been..._loneliness..._?

"You missed me today." Sesshomaru's words were a statement, not a question, and Inuyasha found himself flushing in spite of himself.  
"Keh, whatever, wishful thinking...idiot..." Long, gentle fingers splayed across his almost flat stomach, bringing him backwards into the warmth of Sesshomaru's chest. His breathing grew more erratic, as did his heartbeat, though despite it all, he leant back into it, strangely grateful for the affection after being on his own all day. Those fingers traced upwards across his collarbone, over his throat and came to rest beneath his chin as he coerced Inuyasha's face towards him. Inuyasha met his eyes, turning towards him slowly. Their noses brushed against each other as they held the other's gaze, before the Half-demon's lashes fluttered closed, and he pressed slightly parted lips forwards against Sesshomaru's.

Inuyasha's arms came to curl about the Demon's shoulders, and at the same time crimson-crested hands roamed the warm expanse of his chest. The Half-demon gasped, finding himself rolled onto his back as open-mouthed kisses meshed their lips together, expressing a sense of mutual apology as well as something else...something much more forbidden and confusing...

Sesshomaru pulled back only to regard Inuyasha closely with crimson-lidded-eyes, unconsciously brushing the backs of his claws over now slightly flushed cheeks.  
"We can't..." Inuyasha managed out, tongue darting out unthinkingly and gathering the Demon Lord's taste from his lips. "My..." he paused again, trying to think of a way to phrase it, "My body's not ready to be taken again yet."  
Sesshomaru resisted from quirking a brow at him.  
"I do not have to take your body to adore it," he answered impassively, inclining his head to pass slow licks down Inuyasha's jaw and throat, pausing every-so-often to nip the flesh gently.

Small bruises brewed beneath the surface, littering honey-hued skin with love-bites, and he could not help but glance up at Inuyasha with a smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth. "I know how sensitive this part of you is right now," he said huskily, brushing the pad of his thumb over an erect nipple, torturing the over-sensitized flesh. Inuyasha tossed his head to the side, crying out thoughtlessly, so that he heard the girl within the cradle nearby stir.  
"S-Sesshomaru," he managed out, hands pushing half-heartedly at Sesshomaru's shoulders as a devilish tongue darted out to capture the nipple, tormenting it gently before drawing it into his mouth.  
"S... Nnnn, s-stop..." Inuyasha muttered, hearing his daughter begin to fuss.

Suddenly Sesshomaru winced, pulling back slightly to rest on his heels. Inuyasha, seized his chance and sat up as hastily as his still recovering body would allow. A hand on his shoulder caused him to remain, and he watched as the Demon Lord gathered himself to his feet, plucking the infant out of the bassinet and bringing her to him.

The Half-demon sighed ever-so-slightly, tearing his eyes away from the silver-haired pup that was reaching for his chest unconsciously. "Call Kokoro," he said, "she's hungry."  
Sesshomaru remained unmoved, glancing briefly at his daughter, and then to Inuyasha once more. Dropping fluidly to his sibling's side, Sesshomaru cradled the girl to Inuyasha's chest.

"Sesshomaru, make yourself useful," he teased slightly, trying to ignore the feeling brewing in his chest at realising Kokoro was needed. "Go get the damn wench-"  
"-Silence," Sesshomaru demanded. A scowl reached the Half-demon's features, and his mouth opened to protest, but snapped shut again soundlessly. Two small hands curled into fists around a large clump of silver hair that draped over his shoulders as it always did, and Inuyasha frowned, having to look down to ensure his suspicions were correct when the cries of the infant ceased.

An odd expression of both bewilderment and peculiarity reached his features, as he watched the still unnamed little creature...for lack of a better word _feeding_ off of him. He felt Sesshomaru sit back slightly, and he knew he was watching even as the myriad of expressions fell away to a tired smile.  
"You," Inuyasha began, "how did you-?"  
"I could taste it," Sesshomaru answered, recalling his flinch at the bitterly over-sweet taste. Inuyasha stared at the infant, then to Sesshomaru, then to their daughter again. Still, he was evidently unsure how he'd managed to _do_ this. Then again, some people might argue as to how a male body managed to achieve a pup in the first place.

_I guess my body is more helpful than I thought..._

Any misery that had tainted the blissful euphoria his daughter had brought into Inuyasha's life dissipated, so that only contentment for her presence remained, and no amount of discomfort or exhaustion would extinguish that feeling. Sesshomaru had settled against him, evidently as unsure yet as awestruck as he was, at seeing their pup draw sustenance from swollen, tender nipples.

As much as a nagging, annoying voice at the back of his mind told him to get up and inform Takara and Kokoro of the situation, Sesshomaru found himself held there, as if by some unseen force, and his instincts assured him he could tell them in the morning. Some time later, as the evening fell away to night, the girl had released the Half-demon's tender nub, yawning widely as she allowed her head to fall against her '_mother's_' chest. Large eyes flickered between her parents, and she took long inhalations of their scents, attempting to adjust to their individual smells.

"Are those annoying people gone yet?" Inuyasha asked tiredly, stroking his daughter's hair gently. Sesshomaru shook his head.  
"The Naming ceremony for the pup will be in a few days. They will remain until then."  
Inuyasha sighed heavily at his brother's words.  
"The Naming ceremony...?" The Half-demon repeated thoughtfully, his pup's gums nipped him playfully in an attempt to get his attention. "Guess that means she'll be needing a name, huh?"  
Sesshomaru smirked.  
"The title of the ceremony does imply that, yes."  
A sudden, deep thoughtfulness reached Inuyasha's eyes, which were focused on their pup, as if studying her features for some, tiny clue.

"Well you _were_ the one that suggested Itsuki-"  
"-I forbid you to even _suggest_ we call our daughter 'tree'," Sesshomaru argued. With that idea thoroughly quashed, Inuyasha returned his gaze to his daughter. "How about we name her after Nannami?" At this, Sesshomaru's eyes hardened.  
"The Demoness, however awe-inspiring and intelligent she is, despises me," Sesshomaru murmured, joking despite the fact that it was not evident in his voice and Inuyasha fought to repress a smirk.  
"With good reason," he teased. Sesshomaru said nothing in response. "Well you think of some then," Inuyasha sighed. Again, the Demon Lord said nothing, leaving Inuyasha to search his mind for something he thought his brother might agree with - something that suited their daughter.

"Aki?"  
"She was born in the summer."  
"It doesn't just mean 'autumn'," Inuyasha responded, though upon seeing the sneer reach his brother's features he moved onto any other suggestions that entered his mind. "Kaori? Miyoko?" Again, these names only received a thorough, unvoiced rejection from his older sibling.  
"Such common names, unfitting for a royal demoness."  
At this, Inuyasha rolled his eyes, holding his daughter up at arms length, her toes pawing at each other as she watched him, evidently trying very hard to smile at him, though not really understanding how to pull it off at will yet.

"Don't be such a snob. What about Chinatsu? It means-"  
"-A thousand summers, I am aware."  
"Well how about it then, it-"  
"-Was my mother's name," Sesshomaru interrupted, an uncomfortable silence following. "Part of it in any case. Her name was Sachinatsu." Inuyasha swallowed hard. Did Sesshomaru want to name their daughter after his mother? He frowned at the thought. They had _very_ different mothers, the same father and that was the problem. Sesshomaru's mother hated humans and half-demons alike, he couldn't stand to call his daughter that. Besides which, naming the little girl after _either_ of their mothers would evoke painful, bitter memories, memories they swore to leave behind them from now on, so he was glad his brother did not voice either suggestion aloud.

"It does not have to concern the time she was born," Sesshomaru said, breaking the silence as he moved over to the dresser, withdrawing a long, weather-beaten scroll from within one of the drawers. "Here, our family tree, take a look if you wish."  
Inuyasha sighed heavily, sitting up a little straighter with his pup curled between his legs as he unrolled the parchment, glancing over the names branching out from those at the top. _They must have been my first ancestors,_ he thought.

It was then he realised just where Sesshomaru had become so snooty and picky about 'common' names; most of the names in his line of lineage he'd never even heard of before, and even then, the words were spelt so sophisticatedly he feared to even _try_ and pronounce them.  
"Anything?" the Demon Lord asked patiently. Inuyasha shook his head, still perusing his ancestry.  
"Most of these are male names."  
Sesshomaru nodded.  
"Indeed, I informed you that the majority of our family line bore males."

Inuyasha snorted, tossing the parchment aside and plucking his daughter up under her arms, smiling at her as he held her up.  
"Yeah, well she's better than any boy. Guys screw everything up - we're both fine examples of _that_ fact," he said, still holding his daughter aloft, so that the moonlight escaping in through the shutters bathed her silver hair and unblemished skin. He watched as she managed a smile at last, golden orbs glowing in the near otherworldly light that caused long tresses to look almost luminous. He gnawed his lip as a thought occurred to him. His own eyes followed the trail of light, to gaze at the moon in the clear sky outside and cradled his pup to his chest thoughtfully as Sesshomaru approached.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" he asked, "is there something the matter?"  
Inuyasha tore his gaze from the night sky to face his brother. The light that had lead him to this new idea now illuminated the silver hair that cascaded over his shoulders, causing Sesshomaru to fall completely silent under this breathtaking appearance.  
"Tsukihime," he said softly, his voice barely audible. Sesshomaru frowned.  
"Moon princess?" he asked.  
Inuyasha smirked.  
"Yeah... She was born at night time, and..." he sat her up slightly, so that she could look upon both her parents with wide, curious eyes. "She _is_ a princess, I suppose - In more ways than one."

Sesshomaru sighed, looking to his daughter. He supposed, with the parents she possessed she would live up to her name; he could practically _hear_ the future, inevitable tantrums that would undoubtedly mimic Inuyasha's. The infant yawned widely, rousing a smile at the corners of his mouth.

~To Be Continued...

* * *

**Meaning:**

**Tsukihime - [Soo-kih-he-may] - Please ask if ya wanna re-use this name, it is 'tsuki' meaning moon and 'hime' meaning princess. I thought this name was appropriate for the new light of Inuyasha's life and the Stoic Demon lord's little princess XD With two daddy's she's definately going to be 'daddy's little princess' ne? Lol.**

A/N: Likey? ^.^ I hope you did, i kinda felt like it was a bit slow moving but i guess time for Inuyasha is slow moving so it makes sense XD Either way i hope you liked the mush, action and angst resume as normal in the next chappie, which again, will be on time ^_^

The exact results were as follows

Boy: 65

Girl: 67

Tally of results from different places:

Email: B-3, G-12

: B-43, G-34

: B-19, G-20

Please review ^.^

Thank you

Shigure-san

x chuu x


	29. To This Burning

**Chapter Twenty-Nine****  
****To This Burning**

Sunlight filtered in through the slots in the shutters, the rays slithering through them like graceful serpents to rest upon the softly breathing forms on the grand bed. The bed's hangings were drawn a little to prevent the light from reaching the newborn infant or her exhausted 'mother'. Inuyasha emitted a low, rumbling groan as his lashes fluttered, eyes opening and his sleepy gaze struggling to focus on the room. The arm that had been encircling his still slumbering daughter stretched forward, finding the comfort of his brother's body no longer in the bed, even his warmth had long left it.

Inuyasha sat up a little too quick, his arm propping him up on the bed. Tsukihime stirred a little, whimpering lightly, and he gnawed his lip, unsure of how to calm her before she woke up completely. Slowly, apprehensively, he rolled her onto her side, his comparatively large palm stroking from her velvet ears and down her back in careful strokes, as if scared of breaking her fragile little body with such a manoeuvre. The whimpering died and the child's breathing eased back into its sleeping state. Inuyasha himself sighed in relief and no little amount of shock that he'd actually managed to send his daughter back to sleep without any aid from Nannami, Takara or that wench Kokoro.

Something inside him burned at the recollection of the last few nights (barring last night). His daughter had been in the world for 3 nights and he had not even known how to make her go to sleep on his own, she would cry to be with him but once he had her she would whine and fuss in his clueless embrace. He was sure he felt bile creep up his throat when he had been forced to let Kokoro send her to sleep. Jealousy was his worst trait, yet it ruled him so easily, with Kagome, Tsukihime and yes even Sesshomaru.

No more, he thought resolutely, quite proud of his achievement, and for the first time began to believe what Sesshomaru and Hikireimaru and all the others had been saying from the start, that his body was an ingenious and perfect creation that stole abilities from both his human and demon heritage to fix any problem it came across. Looking back on himself in the last few months before Tsukihime, he thought of how young he had been, even for his age. Young, as in not understanding so many things that he could see all-too clearly now, as if the fog of his naivety had been lifted.

Still staring down at the infant, his clawed hands reached for his neck, and his fingers traced his mark absently. _Sesshomaru_, he thought. The mist over so many previously bewildering things had cleared his path to see now, a great deal about his brother than he'd never dared to assume before...

_"I do not think I will ever be able to say those words - to anyone, however I...I wish for you to know, that I feel it all the same... I adore you, I indulge you, I desire and worship you, I can say any of those things, because they are the truth. But the one truth I wish to divulge to you...I cannot force out of my mouth... But you understand?"__  
__"You...love me?"_

Sesshomaru had not answered him, and Inuyasha was partially glad of that. His cheeks grew hot with embarrassment even now, upon recollecting it, and upon realising that all those glances previously, when he'd sworn he'd seen such an emotion flicker in his brother's gaze when it lingered over him, that it had been real. Sesshomaru loved him? It was such a strange concept, but then, to him it was strange that anyone loved him, least of all Sesshomaru. He'd done nothing but make things difficult for his brother, insult and upset him, inconvenienced him since the moment he had stepped foot in the castle. So what had he done to earn such affections? How had Sesshomaru fallen for him at all?

Suddenly a startling twinge tickled his mark, and his back arched forwards a little. He tore his hand away from his neck, realising that he had been giving such reactions to Sesshomaru (wherever he was) by accidently by stroking his mark. He really had to remember to stop touching his neck so carelessly.

The door to his chambers opened, and Sesshomaru appeared, closing the door awkwardly behind him, but it was what he was holding that made Inuyasha frown. "Why are you bringing that up?" he asked, watching his brother set the tray of food down on the side of the bed. Sesshomaru raised a brow, sitting in the chair at the bedside and gazed at his brother impassively.  
"I believed you may be hungry, you have hardly eaten the last few days," He answered simply.  
"Yeah," murmured Inuyasha, turning his body to face his brother more comfortably - he still found a lot of positions a great deal too painful for his body to manage (considering which orifice it had been that he'd pushed his new child from). "But why did you bring it up?"  
"You are still unclothed," Sesshomaru said matter-of-factly, not looking at him, but instead pressing the tray of food towards him. "I took the liberty of ordering your favourites," he murmured, then getting to his feet slowly.

Inuyasha stared at the tray, carefully choosing his words before daring to speak. "Sesshomaru...listen I really..." His words were stopped as a clawed finger traced his lips, turning his face so that their mouths locked together. He felt Sesshomaru's hand come to the unmarked side of his neck, stroking his throat gently as that tongue skittered over his own. Inuyasha moaned softly, there was no arousal in his brother's scent at all, not really, so why was he doing this if he didn't want to relieve the stress of his heat on him? For Inuyasha could sense that his brother's heat was still causing him trouble...

Suddenly Sesshomaru's hand slid down from his neck too quickly, brushing over Inuyasha's chest, making the Half-demon flinch. Sesshomaru pulled back, staring down at him with oddly apologetic eyes. "I am sorry, Inuyasha, did I-"  
"-It's nothing, don't worry," Inuyasha murmured, rubbing his tender nipple carefully. "It just really hurts..."

Sesshomaru, who was obviously none-the-wiser when it came to breast-feeding or childbirth, merely raised a brow at him.  
"Why?"  
"Well how the hell should I know?" Inuyasha snapped, not for the first nor last time pitying their female child for being 'blessed' with two (clueless) male parents. "It's full of milk ya stupid dummy!" he hissed, flushing a little. Sesshomaru straightened up as the child on the bed began to stir once more.  
"It is odd, your chest does not look any different, yet it's producing milk...it is...strange to me is all," Sesshomaru murmured in his usual monotone. Inuyasha snorted at that as his brother encircled the bed, coming to sit on his other side.  
"Keh, try being the one who breast feeds..."  
"You are the one that wanted to, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru retorted calmly, scooping the fussing child into his chest, though she did not calm. Inuyasha watched him, frowning a little at the way his brother held her.  
"Sesshomaru-"  
"-At least be grateful you can see past your stomach now. It seems to have gone straight back down to its usual state. I wondered if you could even see your penis during your pregnancy."

Inuyasha scowled at his brother's bad sense of humour. "You're the one that fucked a half-demon the size of a baby whale so shut it," he growled, reaching for his pup when she started to cry with her tiny hands clenching into fists against Sesshomaru's chest, but Sesshomaru pulled back a little, frowning.  
"Am I forbidden from even embracing my daughter?" he asked. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.  
"No, but she don't like you," the Half-demon replied with a devious smirk. An uncharacteristically stunned expression crossed the Demon Lord's face.  
"I am her-"  
"-It don't matter what you are," Inuyasha grinned, still reaching for the girl, "we may be family, and we have to love each other, but no one said we have to like each other," he said, trying very hard not to laugh at Sesshomaru's bewildered expression when the child started to cry even harder when he refused to relinquish his hold on her.

"You ain't even holding her right!" Inuyasha growled playfully, "Give her here ya moron - SHIT!" He screamed his last words as he reached forward a little his body tensing in the most gut-wrenching agony. He fell against the mattress and screamed. Sesshomaru shuddered as his mate's pain burned in the mark on his hip, coursing through his blood, and hastily tilted his suddenly silent pup into one arm, while the other steadied Inuyasha up against the pillows.

"What is the matter, I thought you were recovering well considering-?"  
"There's something wrong..." Inuyasha whispered, his voice uncharacteristically pained, it sent chills down the Demon Lord's spine. He didn't want Inuyasha to be in pain. A tiny movement caught his eye, and Sesshomaru looked down as a silent, though tear-stained Tsukihime reached out to an obviously distressed Inuyasha. This was serious now, and as the Half-demon reached out for the infant again, Sesshomaru saw any hint of teasing gone from those golden eyes. Leaning forward he laid the silently fretting pup on Inuyasha's chest, pulling the blankets up around them both carefully.

"Do not dwell over the pain too long, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru all-but purred, never tearing his eyes from Inuyasha's face, even as the Half-demon's eyes fixed on their pup while he stroked her ears thoughtfully. The Demon Lord felt a twinge of jealousy at having his mate's eyes so entranced by the pup when not a single glance was spared for him. So much love and devotion, but never to him, and he grinded his teeth a little at the hopelessness that possessed him then. But he didn't resent Tsukihime for it, far from it, it inspired some form of bliss inside him to see his pup and his mate together, but still...he couldn't help but desire some of that attention and sweetness too...

"You have only just begun lactating for our greedy pup," Sesshomaru continued, trying to make the situation lighter to bear for his brother, "Demon children take more from the mother than mortal children, since it is the nutrients from you that allow not only her body but her powers to grow also. That paired with the fact that her senses and abilities accelerate quicker whilst she is so young, although she herself remains young." When he saw Inuyasha's confusion, he elaborated with a soft smile.

"It is how demons survive - when they are infants, they develop certain skills a little quicker. This will only last for the equivalent of a human ya few years however, it is only to make her body a little stronger more quickly to enhance her chances of survival." To this, Inuyasha smirked weakly, a little of his old self seeping into the expression.  
"We're her parents, she don't need much more enhancement on her chances of survival," he murmured. Sesshomaru smirked.  
"I brought your favourites up," he reminded the Half-demon after he sensed an awkward silence brewing, "you should eat-"  
"-I'm sorry, but...really my stomach can't handle heavy foods like that right now." He turned his head to meet Sesshomaru's eyes for the first time. "Thanks though...I err...It was..." he paused, considering the words Kagome had said on the rare occasion he had done something for her...

"It was sweet of you anyway." His eyes widened, cheeks flushed as the words left his lips, and he realised he'd said them aloud upon recalling them, without even considering what he was saying or _who_ he was saying them to! He wanted to smash his head against the wall in embarrassment! He'd just called Sesshomaru sweet! HE - Inuyasha, had said the word 'sweet', and when he caught sight of Sesshomaru smiling teasingly at him, he felt an uneasy feeling swell within him. Sesshomaru smiling was never a good thing...

"Inuyasha-"  
"-Don't even say it!" Inuyasha cut him off, not meeting his eyes, instead busying himself by rocking his pup absently. Just then, Sesshomaru smiled once more, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his Half-demon's head, before drawing back to consider the boy's shocked expression.  
"Do not concern yourself over my efforts - Be well again before you bother yourself with such trifling matters." He stood, regaining his stoic composure as he did so. "Would you not eat if I should find some of your 'soggy string'?"

Inuyasha nearly laughed, but shook his head. Sesshomaru was determined to keep his Half-demon smiling now that he had a good feeling between them once again. He was so anxious that something he might say would shatter that goodness, and he, Lord Sesshomaru had never been anxious about anything in his life. Yet, that was merely proof that, somehow, along the line, he had fallen for him. And this, he had recently decided, did not bother him as much as it should have.

_How far we have both come since the day we both came to this castle together,_ Sesshomaru thought, watching Inuyasha bounce their very wide-awake daughter absently.

"I will take you outside if you wish?" Sesshomaru suggested, "Perhaps some fresh air would-"  
"-No, I...I just feel a bit better today so... Tomorrow, maybe. I just-"  
"-Are you alright, Inuyasha?" the Demon interrupted, frowning. "You seem unlike yourself today. The Inuyasha I thought I had known would have already attempted to crawl out the window by now." His frown deepened as fear throbbed heavily in the mark on his hip. "You are afraid," he acknowledged. At this, a fire flickered to life in his mate's eyes.

"I'm not afraid of anything," the Half-demon hissed, a telltale loathing for such weakness sounding in that whispering growl, the kind the stubborn old Inuyasha had be known for.  
"You forget, Little Brother," Sesshomaru responded, tapping his hip carefully through his hakama. "I am connected to you."  
"Well how's about I connect with your face?" Inuyasha growled, "Why's there always gotta be something wrong with me, according to you? Huh?"  
"Inuyasha, I-"  
"-Because as far as I can see, I may be a screw-up but you're the one who must be wrong in the head for falling for a pathetic half-demon who couldn't even stop himself from being captured by a freak like Hikireimaru!"

A long silence polluted the air, and Sesshomaru watched as Inuyasha's eyes widened. The Half-demon averted his gaze and struggled to his feet in order to slide Tsukihime into the bassinet by the window. Completely disregarding his nakedness, Inuyasha threw the shutters open and rested his crossed arms on the sill as he stared out across the summer's day, looking at anything that would prevent him from locking eyes with his brother once more. Because he'd realised what he had betrayed in his words just then, and he loathed himself for it. For some reason, having Sesshomaru know he was afraid caused bile to rise in his throat with the sickened feeling that suddenly seized him.

Slowly, warmth pressed against his naked back and two arms enfolded him after sweeping the hair off his neck and over his shoulder. Soft lips skimmed over the nape of his neck, and he grit his teeth, withholding an instinctive shudder.  
"Is that what this is about, Little Brother?"  
"Don't call me that," Inuyasha snapped, his voice still a whisper, "You used to call me that when you hated me-"  
"-Now I call you it because I love-"  
"-Shut up!" Inuyasha cut across him, spinning in his embrace to face him with enraged eyes. "Don't preach love and pretend to understand me - you understand nothing! You know nothing! You've never had to fight for anything in your entire life!"  
"On the contrary, I fought for you." To this, Inuyasha fell silent, insantly regretting his words as the anger died, and he recalled the few secret reasons as to why his brother was who he was.

"But if this fear stems from Hikireimaru, Inuyasha, I thought you were over his capture of you?" Sesshomaru suggested, Inuyasha snorted, averting his gaze once more.  
"You don't just get over some sick bastard tying you up, molesting you and cutting your hair off before making you piss on yourself," he growled brokenly, anger boiling in his chest in recalling what he had been reduced to that day. "I want to kill him..."  
The Demon Lord stared at him incredulously at the sheer malice in that voice. A little of the subdued demon flickered in that husky tone, and Sesshomaru was slightly unnerved to hear it in his suddenly precious little brother's voice. "I'm going to kill him for what he did to me, but I..." he trailed off, and his mate knew exactly why. Slender. clawed fingers slid into Inuyasha's hair, drawing his head to the Demon Lord's chest so that the fear within them need not be betrayed.

"Do not attempt to hide your emotions from me, Inuyasha, as I made the mistake of doing when we were first joined. I did not permit you to feel the full brunt of my innermost secrets, but I shattered the walls around me for a reason - to let you in, do not repay the favour by shutting me out."

Inuyasha stood there motionlessly for a while, just relishing the warmth surrounding him, and falling into that evanescent bliss that came with it, believing this warmth and these arms were all that mattered in the world. But then his brother spoke again, his words shattering that perfect illusion.  
"It is normal to be afraid, and merely sensible to fear someone with powers as great as Hikireimaru's," The Demon assured him, stroking downy ears absently.  
"Keh, yeah right, you telling me you are scared of that asshole?"  
"Naturally..." Sesshomaru murmured, surprising his brother enough that the Half-demon drew back, meeting his eyes, his confusion heightening at the unreadable expression dancing there. "He has been lurking within the folds of time, and never once has he failed to get what he wants... He is powerful - yes, more than I, and now he has set his sights on something I have come to treasure, I am terrified of him."

His words remained as stoic and unemotional as ever, but their meaning betrayed something that made Inuyasha's insides freeze. He had never even stopped to think that Hikireimaru was more powerful than Sesshomaru. He knew Hikireimaru was strong but, somewhere inside him, there was a part of him that had only ever seen his brother win. Even when Sesshomaru was his enemy, he was the most powerful creature he had known; even Naraku did not succeed in killing him. Now the one he'd unwittingly counted on to always be better, he was saying that, Hikireimaru was stronger?

A kiss to his forehead drew him from his thoughts, and he watched as Sesshomaru drew away. "Do not fear for your life, Inuyasha, despite the difference in our strength, I am still powerful, and have no intention of permitting you to fall into his hands." To this, Inuyasha flushed darkly with embarrassed indignation. "I merely..." Sesshomaru could not say it aloud...

He knew that Inuyasha nor Tsukihime would fall, and nor would the West as long as he had a breath in him. What he feared was something much more ancient and sinister... the slow and inglorious death that love seemed to bring to the males of his family. He feared it because he had seen it for a long time coming, hence why he had tried to avoid such emotions beforehand. But here he was, and he had dragged his doom in through the front door, he had coddled it and made love to it. Ensured it would stay. He had forged an unbreakable bond with his brother, and in doing so had sealed his fate.

"One day," Sesshomaru said at last, surprised that his voice remained distinctly even, "Hikireimaru will come for you, and I will stop him, I will save you and I will die."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, and he stepped forward to Sesshomaru but the Demon shrugged him off. "I carry many regrets, Inuyasha, but bringing you here and becoming what I am to you, is not one of them. If holding you close kills me, this will not change." With that he turned for the door, until a small whimpering cry came from the bassinet, and the Demon turned to watch as Inuyasha leaned down to pull the infant into his arms.

"Now you've made her cry with all this cryptic rubbish," Inuyasha said with a smirk, and Sesshomaru reciprocated the expression barely, noting how Tsukihime watched him with glassy eyes, her little fist firmly in her mouth as she chewed on it. Without really thinking what he was doing, he approached, and Inuyasha did not resist as the Demon drew her into his arms. The whimpering became more pronounced, and Inuyasha could not help but laugh a little. "She really doesn't like you too much, does she?"

Takara sighed as he pushed the last-but-one of the papers to the side of the desk. He had been working endlessly to get rid of some of the work that had built up over the last few days, where his Lord's attention had been (rightly) focused on Inuyasha and the new addition. He smiled absently. The demon he had all-but raised had found something he deemed so important, that was nothing to do with the Western Lands.

_That he has set Inuyasha as priority is a feat indeed,_ Takara thought.

Suddenly the door opened, and Takara rose to his feet at the sight of Sesshomaru entering the room with a whimpering Tsukihime in his arms, the infant's teary eyes fixed on him sulkily. "Lord Sesshomaru," Takara said airily, offering his usual heartfelt smile. "And with Lady Tsukihime? I thought Inuyasha had forbidden her from leaving the room?"

Sesshomaru looked severely irritated, though he answered anyway. "He permitted me to bring her to here under the 'strict condition' that no one else is to touch or breathe near her - that Half-demon is getting quite brash, presuming to order me about in concerns of my own daughter, as if I am incapable of looking after my own pup..." But with his words Tsukihime cried out again, and he winced at the noise. "Takara," the Demon Lord said stiffly, "you have been my advisor since before I ascended as Lord of the West."  
The elemental raised a curious brow at this suspicious behaviour.  
"Yes Sire."  
"You have never been dishonest with me, or failed me in any way," the Demon Lord continued.  
Takara set aside the last of the papers and considered his Lord's expression.  
"Does this flattering realisation have a purpose, My Lord?" he asked quizzically.  
"Tell me, am I holding her wrong?" Sesshomaru asked tersely. Takara bit his lower lip, struggling to withhold a grin.  
"Your holding skills seem more than adequate, Sire." At his words, Sesshomaru seemed to regain some semblance of (unintentionally amusing) arrogance.  
"Yes, I thought so," he murmured, but then Tsukihime cried even louder. "So why must she continue to make such irritating sounds?"  
"Well, perhaps she just doesn't..." But Takara trailed off. Sesshomaru's gaze narrowed suspiciously.  
"Go ahead, complete your sentence, Takara..." he growled dangerously.  
Takara blinked a few times, torn between being amused and afraid of his Lord's temper.  
"Perhaps, Sire," he began after a silent moment of gathering some courage, "Perhaps due to the intense bond shared with Inuyasha, and the stress and animosity you feel towards others because of your protectiveness of him...she is sensing such a build-up of negative energy from you and she...she does not...like you very much at this present moment."

Sesshomaru seemed angrier more than anything else. "But I am the one that wanted her in the first place," he argued bitterly, "Inuyasha spoke of ripping the unborn whelp from his belly and yet she adores him more than anyone." As those words ushered past his lips, Takara smiled kindly, manoeuvring round the table to stand supportively beside his lord.  
"What does the Young Sire do that you do not, Lord Sesshomaru?" Takara asked patiently, as if he were talking to the irrational young lord that Sesshomaru had once been. At first it did not look as if the Demon Lord were going to respond, but then...

"He feeds her, he coddles her constantly, he talks to her - he...well, he does everything."  
At this Takara smiled.  
"Indeed, My Lord. He wants to do everything for her, because he is so desperate for her love and approval. Lord Inuyasha, Sire, is very dependant on that. After everything he has experienced, he wants her love just a little bit more than you do." A slight blush tinged the Demon's cheeks, though it was barely noticeable, and he stared down at the suddenly silent baby, meeting her wide golden orbs thoughtfully. "If I may be so bold, Sire, from what I have seen... You crave for Lord Inuyasha's love more than Lady Tsukihime's..."

A sad silence fell over those in the room, and Sesshomaru passed Tsukihime into Takara's arms. "Well it matters little, as it seems I cannot have the adoration of either," he murmured, before exiting from the room, leaving Takara holding his deathly silent pup.

Inuyasha hoped that by allowing Sesshomaru to take Tsukihime the infant would warm up to her 'father' a bit more. Despite his teasing, he didn't really want the girl to keep crying whenever the Demon held her, perhaps it was the recent events that had connected him to his feminine side but, something in him didn't want to feel Sesshomaru's hurt when it occurred.

Slumber had caught him as he waited in the room alone, and he shifted restlessly from troubled dreams. The shadow of someone he was sure he knew was standing over him, and yet he could not shake himself awake. Even unconscious he could feel sweat beading down his forehead as heated breath (that was not his own) steamed over him, and those eyes watched him sleep . And Inuyasha choked on his voice as he tried to cry out, but no sound came, as if something was smothering him.

A voice, dark, coarse and grating whispered in his ears, filling his head. "Inuyasha..." His name caressed his senses with a snake-like hiss, over and over. Louder and louder, though the repetition was still whispered it was booming, overwhelming him until he did cry out, opening his eyes, he found he had screamed to his empty room - he was awake, drenched with sweat.

Staring panicked about him, he felt his insides clench. Tsukihime and Sesshomaru were nowhere to be seen. He didn't know why but, he felt a horrible feeling rise like bile in his throat at Sesshomaru's absence. Like something was wrong, and he could feel it. Suddenly his hand clapped to his throat, to his mark and he winced at the stinging pain that invaded it.

Struggling to his feet, Inuyasha felt a little of his old strength return to him, and though his balance wavered a little (not yet used to the regained lightness to his body) he seized his fire-rat garb from the side where it always remained, neatly folded, and pulled it on before charging through the open door. Something was wrong with Sesshomaru.

The upper halls of the family or those close to them were deserted as usual, as he sped down them, surprised to feel his old agility back at least a little. He was unsteady and a little pained by heavy steps, but he had no time to spare for such things right now, and he took the stairs two at a time. Sounds echoed from the bustling hall, even as far as the grand foyer, but his nose and other senses told him Sesshomaru was not there so he bypassed. Instead, he headed across the foyer thoughtfully, trying to find a scent trail.

With no luck in finding a recent smell, he scratched his mark gently, hoping for a response, but none came, and after a few tries Inuyasha had to assume that his brother was ignoring the irritating itch that was his concern. "Come on Sesshomaru..." Inuyasha murmured, standing there senselessly. Panic raged in his veins, and he made sure to permit every shred of it to his brother. If Sesshomaru sensed it, surely he would come running? Surely...

But moments passed by, the inanely loud chatter from the hall his only comfort as he began to fall back upon terrifying assumptions. Assumptions that, if Sesshomaru did not come to him when he was sending such clear waves of panic, then it could only mean that he could not...

"It is a pity to see one as vulnerable as you around, Lord Inuyasha."  
To that grating, irritating voice, Inuyasha turned, grating his teeth upon locking eyes with a particularly malicious looking Ran, who sporting a dark purplish bruise on her cheek, most likely where he had struck her a few days ago at the Midsummer's eve gathering.  
"And without your bodyguards? No Takara, Nannami or little shrimps to baby-sit you?" When he did not give her the dignity of a response she stepped closer to him, her gaze hardening, "such a pity..."  
"Piss off," he sneered, pushing past her, "I don't have time to deal with jealous wenches like you-"  
"-It was meant to be mine," she cut him off, seizing his arm in her razor talons as he passed. The claws caught his fire-rat kimono, which (unknown to her) protected his flesh from their wrath. "This castle, the lands, the title, the pup - Lord Sesshomaru - they were meant to be mine..."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, shrugging the woman's cringe-worthy touch off of him. "Everything is half mine through birth, and if anything happens to Sesshomaru I am the heir to everything whether or not Sesshomaru chose me - and yes, chose me is exactly what he did." Those were the words he could tell had struck her deepest. She emitted a low, dangerous snarl, which merely brought a smirk to the Half-demon's lips. "And as for my pup belonging to you, well, if she had been unfortunate to have you as a mother she'd probably have been born as ugly as a diseased rabbit that had been dragged through a hedge backwards!"

That was it. She snapped. She lunged. Inuyasha dodged her easily, even without his full agility. He dropped to a crouch and his leg swiped round to knock her legs out from under her. She gasped, evidently expecting him to be no more skilled than some common concubine, particularly not a warrior.  
"The blood of one as perfect as Lord Sesshomaru should not grace the likes of you!" She snarled, lunging, her talons slicing across his cheek. He cried out as blood cried free from the wound, but leapt towards her, knocking her into the pillar which winded her, before sending her hurtling across the room.  
"In case you forgot idiot," he responded, chasing after her as she skidded across the pristine floors, "I am already 'graced with his blood' - my father was his father."  
She sneered as she spat blood on the floor.  
"A temperamental old fool who fell for a mortal. Pitiful. The greatness Lord Sesshomaru possesses is not from a broken old man..."

Inuyasha smirked, bounding over and standing with one foot against her cheeks, crushing her face to the floor. "You think my brother's greatness comes from a selfish whore who abandoned him before he was old enough to open his eyes?" he asked incredulously. She winced as he applied more pressure to his foot. "He is who he is because of our father, because of Nannami and Takara - because he doesn't sully himself with things like you." At his words, a sickening smile twisted her normally stunning face into something ugly and self-righteous.  
"You truly believe that you are worthy of him? That you, a half-breed are above me?" she hissed. Inuyasha sneered, leaning closer.  
"The lowest of scum is above you, I'm no better or worse than any demon, human, or half-demon. We're all made of blood and bones - we all breathe the same stinkin' air. All except you, and those like you. You're made of the most unspeakable dirt, and your noses are so far up your own backsides all you can breathe is your own crap." A flittering movement caught his eye, and as Inuyasha looked up, he saw everyone standing in the doorway of the hall, listening to every word he said. He flushed, stepping back from Ran and swallowing nervously.

"You have such an impeccable way with words, as ever, Inuyasha..."

Relief all-but drowned him as he turned to that voice and saw his brother standing there, watching him impassively. He as alright. He felt as if breath had finally swum back into his lungs once again after holding it for eternity. But then why...why hadn't his brother answered his mark's call, and why was he now staring at him with that old expression he had thought was long gone?  
"Sesshomaru?" he breathed, "I just...Sesshomaru?"  
The Demon had turned away, heading out through the archway and into the gardens. With one final look back at those gathered nearby, he took off after his brother, bare feet barely touching the floor. The summer sun stung his eyes as he pursued his brother into the courtyard. "Sesshomaru?"  
The Demon's steps quickened and Inuyasha struggled to keep up.  
"Sesshomaru? Hey, Sesshomaru!"  
Those footsteps halted by the dancing fountain, where the sun flickered in each arc of the water before it fell to meet the glistening pool once more, the pool that betrayed his brother's reflection, even as the Demon stood with his back to him.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha snapped, a little of his old, terse self creeping back into his voice as he grew impatient with this sudden and unnecessary silent treatment he was receiving. "Sesshomaru, cut the crap and say something! Anything! Call me a stupid half-demon if you want just say something!" he demanded. For a moment he thought the demon would continue to just ignore him, but then, the pensive pause was brought to an end...  
"You sensed me..." the Demon said blankly, without so much as turning to face his sibling, and Inuyasha frowned.  
"Well yeah," he murmured, voice oddly compassionate, "That's why I came looking for you - I was-"  
"You did not come in search of me," the Demon cut across him. "The panic and concern was for Tsukihime, not for me."  
Inuyasha blinked. In truthfulness (though he loathed himself to admit it) he had forgotten Tsukihime in the sudden concern for his brother. _God I am such a crappy parent,_ he thought, a sadness shadowing his eyes. Sesshomaru sneered upon turning and mistaking the sadness for something else...guilt.

"I may as well not even exist anymore," Sesshomaru murmured. SMACK! Sesshomaru stumbled back a little, not expecting the blow dealt as his brother's fist crashed into his cheek. He regained his posture, staring dumbly at his sibling. Panting for breath, Inuyasha stared back, though his gaze softened abruptly in realisation. They had both been so anxious, so worried over the same groundless fear, that Tsukihime would 'steal' all of the other's attention away from them.

Despite this, Inuyasha shifted into a fighting stance, quite prepared for his brother to strike back, only to watch him lower himself to the fountain's edge, where his fingertips toyed with the water's surface. The Demon's golden gaze turned to his reflection, but not before the Half-demon captured a glimpse of the fight dying down in his eyes. Sighing guiltily, Inuyasha berated himself for being too busy (and pregnant) to not realise to what extent the combination of stress and the heat had affected his brother. Slowly (and gingerly lest he further aggravate his wounds) the Inuyasha sank to the ground before Sesshomaru, a flush gracing his cheeks as he interlaced his hands with the Demon Lord's. "Come with me," he whispered awkwardly, but when Sesshomaru did not comply his blush dissipated, falling away to a stern, more determined look. "Sesshomaru," he insisted huskily, "Come back upstairs with me."

He did not know what it was that made him follow his younger sibling's lead up the stairs and into their chambers, perhaps it was this uncharacteristically calm insistence, or perhaps the devilishly determined look that flickered in the Half-demon's eyes. Whatever it was, he found the door closing behind him, found Inuyasha's clawed fingers sifting carefully through his silver tresses and brushing back imaginary rogue locks. There was no hair out of place and Inuyasha knew this, though still seemed content to use imaginary strands as an excuse to study his suspecting older brother (who even when they were enemies, he had to admit was...perfection.)

"I know what you're thinking," Sesshomaru murmured monotonously, never breaking eye-contact with Inuyasha. "And if I were as perfect as you deem me to be, then I would not have to struggle for any scrap of your affection like some attention-starved mongrel in the dirt."  
Surprisingly, Inuyasha smirked at his words, his impenetrable gruffness returning.  
"You don't mix your words do you?" He retorted sharply, shoving his brother roughly back onto the bed. Glancing down triumphantly at his dishevelled sibling, Inuyasha lowered himself to kneel over him, careful of his still not fully recovered body.  
"What do you think you are doing?" Sesshomaru demanded tersely, but his brother reached up, tracing the marks on his throat and a shudder of pleasure caressed the Demon's hips so that they arched spasmodically from the sheets. He growled lowly in warning, but before he could so much as draw breath, the Half-demon had spread open his kimono, exposing his torso to the warm summer's evening.  
"Your heat is still driving you crazy, don't you think I can tell?" Inuyasha murmured huskily, "It's burning you up because you can't relieve it on me, and that paired with everything else that's happened is making you like this."  
Sesshomaru frowned at those words but said nothing. How dare Inuyasha make it look as if he knew him! But then, he supposed, upon gazing at this rationally, Inuyasha (with the exception of Nannami or Takara) knew him better than most. _Never before have I let someone in so far,_ Sesshomaru thought, gazing down as his brother laid open-mouthed kisses to his pectorals.

_And by these hands he is breaking me, my icy-cold,_ he thought. _I'm being melted down to something senseless and love-driven..._

"Why does everything that has made me all-powerful come tumbling to the ground when you are near me?" Sesshomaru asked the Half-demon rhetorically. The boy paused, glancing up at him. "Are you trying to break me?" The Demon asked. To this Inuyasha smirked, leaning back down to suck harshly at the flesh of his brother's stomach until it bruised beautifully under his affection.  
"I don't intend to break you... Just bruise you a little," Inuyasha growled in response, lowering the path of his mouth leisurely, so that the Demon's breath hitched when his mouth stroked him through the material of his hakama.  
"Do not tease you little imp," Sesshomaru hissed as he watched the boy nuzzle him through the cloth. "Not when you are unable to finish-"  
"-Who said I can't finish?" Inuyasha interrupted, tugging the garment down unceremoniously.

Hot breath steamed over Sesshomaru's skin and a low aroused growl escaped through his gritted teeth. "Your body is still-"  
"Well this isn't about my body," Inuyasha murmured, flushing awkwardly, "it's about yours." Pondering the situation no more, he descended. If he dwelt over his actions, his pride would seize him and he would lose his nerve, and still not entirely comfortable with such intimacies after Hikireimaru's assault on him, he did not think his confidence would stand for much doubt.

**-Scene censored, to read chapter will full scene please see links on my profile-**

A long, breathless moment passed and they lay there shamelessly, unable to persuade their exhausted bodies into movement. That was until the Demon Lord straightened up, looping his exhausted brother's arms around his neck and shifting him up the bead to press his weary head to the plush pillows. Smirking he savoured the way Inuyasha's arms came to wrap around him pulling him closer.  
"Are you alright?" Inuyasha asked breathlessly, after his brother had done cleaning him. Sesshomaru smiled tiredly, meeting those glassy eyes once more as they glistened in the dim light with an almost otherworldly beauty. "Was I err...okay?"  
"Such futile concerns," Sesshomaru responded, resting his head on Inuyasha's. His eyes closed as he breathed in deeply, committing this night to memory. "Every time with you is perfection, Little Brother..."

Thunder rumbled loudly in the distance. A storm was approaching swiftly they could tell, though the promise of bitter rain and thundering sounds drew them closer beneath the sheets unconsciously, a warmth radiating from the other's body that neither had known from another. Pressing his face into the hollow of his brother's throat Inuyasha sighed contentedly, his own eyes fluttering closed. "Sesshomaru?" he asked quietly.  
"Hnn..."  
"I...I think I..." He was cut off by a knock on the door, and Sesshomaru growled lowly in irritation, plotting a most unmerciful death to whoever stood beyond the door. He straightened up, Inuyasha leaning up on an elbow as he bid whoever it was to enter.

Nannami walked in, smiling knowingly at the two of them, a slumbering baby Tsukihime in her arms. "I waited as long as I could My Lords," she said cheerily with a wink at Inuyasha, who blushed profusely, "But its time to settle Rin and Kazuki down, so I really must bring Lady Tsukihime back to you now." She moved across the room, setting the precious treasure down in her basinet (which stood by the wall nearest Inuyasha's side of the bed). "She will probably wake in an hour or so for her feed, Young Sire," she told Inuyasha with a smile, before turning to her oldest Lord. "And the servants are requesting your presence before they settle, My Lord, that and the guards await instructions to lock down the castle for the storm."  
At her words Sesshomaru sighed heavily, standing (regardless of his nakedness) and pulling on a sleeping kimono from the side. "Of course," he murmured monotonously, "I will be with them shortly, Nannami, please continued to settle the children."  
She bowed to him slightly, never as low or as courteously as the others, and always holding his gaze as she did so, the flicker of emotion in the Demon's eyes always betraying that this, to them, was their alternative to an embrace. The door closed behind Nannami, and Sesshomaru looked to his brother, brushing back rebellious bangs from the boy's eyes to lay a kiss on his forehead. "You get some rest, I will be back shortly."  
"Whatever," Inuyasha murmured, a little embarrassed at some of the words he'd said during their encounter, and also at the fact that he almost wanted to ask his brother to stay here. Yet the Demon was at the door, it was open and he still had said nothing more, until...

"Sesshomaru?" he asked, not sitting up but remaining exhaustedly beneath the sheets, watching his mate carefully. The Demon turned to him, his hand still on the door. "Smile at me," the Half-demon requested quietly. Sesshomaru's gaze softened to express an affection very few ever saw and a smile flickered at his lips before he continued through the door, closing it behind him.

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the distance, getting closer slowly. Inuyasha closed his eyes, his exhaustion taking him swiftly. He knew Tsukihime would be up with the storm a lot of the night, and intended to catch whatever rest he could now before it woke her. Hazy, dark images of roaring skies and shadowy realms clouded his sleep, he felt an uneasiness approach him from the empty side of the bed where Sesshomaru's warmth should have been, but he could not shake off his slumber. Something inside him was anxious, and it had nothing to do with the now raging storm pounding against the shutters, or the roaring thunder nor screeching lightning. Something was not right about the real world he had left behind for sleep, yet even as his features contorted with unease, he still could not awake...

As each flash of lightning died, the shadows crept back across the room, one in particular sliding forwards, detached from the others - alive, and standing at the end of the bed, gazing pensively at the slumbering Half-demon. That was until its crimson gaze wandered to the ornately dressed bassinet, and the silver-haired angel within. Golden eyes stared up at him widely, with some sort of horrified recognition flashing briefly within her expression until it fell away to her father's blank acknowledgment that he was there and watching her carefully.

Long, slender, evil fingers ran over her porcelain-pure cheek, her warmth shocking against his cold fingertips. A smile crept over the obsidian shadow's lips. "It has been a long time has it not?" Hikireimaru asked. "I have finally found you, Touya..."

~To Be Continued...

* * *

A/N: Dun dun dun dun! Please no death threats, and HAHAH! I've been planning this from the second Hikireimaru stumbled into this story so I'm so excited to reveal what I've been so deviously planning all this time! *squeeeeeeee* See, it wasn't Inuyasha at all teehee :D Read and Review and I will update asap!

_TO SEE THE PICTURE I DREW OF TSUKIHIME follow this link (without the 3 spaces):_  
htt art. com/art/WTMFR-InuSess-Puppy-Tsukihime-93499158

Ta Ta For now wonderful people *hugs you all*

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	30. Of Oceans and Skies

Chapter Thirty

_Of Oceans and Skies_

The dull, eerie quiet that filled the room seemed to tremble under the sheer force of his presence. The child in the crib stilled, watching him impassively, gaze as stoic as her father's. A pallid finger caressed her cheek, and her face twisted into an inexpert frown. "Such a face, Little one," the Demon purred lowly, casting a glance back to where Inuyasha lay on the bed, still slumbering, unaware of the foreboding presence.

"You look beautiful even in this form of the past. I have seen what you grow into – a beauty unrivalled by even your parents." His eyes slid over her slowly, as if studying every pore. "I have already lost you twice, this time I shall not relinquish my hold. There is no flaw to this plan… You are mine."

Slowly, drugged by sleep, the half-demon's eyes flittered open, his vision not impaired by the dark, nor in the least bit perturbed by the still raging storm outside. What struck his chest, freezing his heart for that brief moment, was the obsidian-haired figure that stood beside his daughter's basinet. As if sensing the Half-demon awakening, Hikireimaru inclined his head to the bed, fully turning and approaching to expose the child beginning to cry in his embrace.

Inuyasha's heart stopped. "Give me that baby." He sneered as Hikireimaru smirked.

"You are in no position to be making such demands," the dark creature hummed almost inaudibly. "Bound to bed having overexerted yourself with the day's activities… Indeed such a very, vulnerable position." He laid the fussing infant on the bed, away from Inuyasha. And stood there, watching the very way his chest moved with each breath closely.

"You want her?" he intoned, "Take her."

A cold motionless moment fell between them; eyes stared into each other in an attempt to read their very thoughts. The Half-demon dived forwards. His arms shot at only to wince, crying out as sharp talons caught his wrists, deftly throwing him back against the headboard. Locking his hands solidly in place above his head the creature pressed down on him, hot breath fogging up his vision in the suddenly cold room.

"Get off me!" Inuyasha grunted, trying to throw the demon from his body, though failing as his exhausted frame failed to find the strength.

"Hnn…" Hikireimaru murmured with fake sweetness, "You do not fully comprehend, Little one, do you?"

"What's to know?" Inuyasha snarled, the child on the end of the bed beginning to whimper uncomfortably. Inuyasha's ears flattened as he found himself unable to answer his daughter's call for help.

"I am stronger than your brother."

The statement poisoned the air around them, leaving the bitter taste of truth in Inuyasha's mouth. Even Sesshomaru, with as much stubbornness and pride as any one being could harbour, had admitted his lack in strength in comparison to Hikireimaru, and that cared Inuyasha more than a little.

"And in addition, Little Half-demon…" the Demon purred, "I was never after you."

Golden eyes widened. The child's screams became deafening as her _father's_ heart raced rapidly with the sudden race of fear. Inuyasha's breath came out in foggy, trembling gasps. "You're after Tsukihime," he breathed, "why?"

To this question, Hikireimaru released him, standing slowly and coming to stand at the side of the bed, gazing down at the screaming infant on the bed pensively.

"As a child…did your mortal mother tell you stories, Inuyasha?" Hikireimaru asked, Inuyasha did not answer, still focused on the disturbed child crying out to him. "I never had the opportunity for such comforts…as I recall, my childhood was lost when my parents sold my body in exchange for their freedom, to a tyrant, one who worked for your father as it so happened…"

There was a deafening pause once again; an Inuyasha felt his heart drumming in his ears with panic brought on by the creature's presence. "My Master, he claimed my body for his own, in every sordid way imaginable…" he punctuated the last few words with advances towards the silent half-demon. "His body was mine to serve, and if I did not perform adequately, I was…tortured endlessly until I grew accustomed to that agony – until I came to _crave_ that agony."

Inuyasha cringed at the way he spoke so matter-of-factly of it all, as if he were relaying someone else's horrific past. He knew that if Kagome were here her heart would have gone out to him, as it was, Inuyasha's heart remained concerned purely with the fitful infant under the creature's gaze.

Hikireimaru looked between Inuyasha and Tsukihime, before pressing the girl carefully into her _father's _arms. Crimson eyes were trained on them watchfully, even as Inuyasha wrapped the blanket on the bed around them, calming the screaming almost instantly. The tearful golden eyes considered him, lip trembling slightly still. "An amiable mother you are indeed, despite your setbacks," Hikireimaru taunted, "I would be of course, bringing you along with Touya, you are naturally, required to ensure her survival."

Inuyasha sneered, growling lowly. "You ain't taking her anywhere," he warned, clasping the girl close to him. "So you can subject her to the same messed up crap you put me through? I don't _think _so." At those words a smirk flittered over the creature's pale lips.

"I think, Inuyasha you are assuming that you have a choice. I _am _taking Touya and you _will _accompany us if you wish to ever see Touya again."

A resonating growl rose from the half-demon's throat. "Stop calling her Touya, she ain't your dead boyfriend."

"I have no reason to doubt she is-"

"-Even if she was, even if it was the same soul, she would never be the same person. Believe me I know first hand," he spat angrily, "The soul is the same but the person isn't, they're as different as the ocean and the sky!"

Hikireimaru leapt forwards, he pounced on the bed, kneeling over them, his face mere inches from Inuyasha's. A heavy, uncomfortable weight pressed on the Half-demon's wounded body, he winced, and that familiar urge – _need_ for his other half hummed through his skin. He caught his lip between his fangs to stop himself from lunging forward and tearing this creature's throat out. If he made such a reckless move while holding Tsukihime she would get hurt. The girl looked up at Hikireimaru and turned herself to Inuyasha's chest, curling as far into him as she could go in effort to escape that demon.

"Your esteemed brother no doubt informed you of my…trip across time?"

Inuyasha did not answer him.

"I spent decades – _centuries_ after Touya's death learning to weave a path through time to reach Touya's reincarnated soul. As it was, the time I managed to reach after centuries of empty, hollow pain and searching, brought me to Touya too late, as his soul was bound to another. But through my failure I saw my final chance, a window in which to return a few short years before Touya's rebirth. So I returned here, and I bided my time, edging closer to you until the deed was done."

Eyes widened yet again, though this time in twisted understanding. "That's why you kept showing up. You were checking up on me…" Inuyasha murmured, mostly to himself. "And you never took me away before because I hadn't had Tsukihime yet…"

It was all so painfully clear it made him want to punch himself for his stupidity. Hikireimaru's coldness pushed in on him again. Shrinking back to the sheets, Inuyasha's heart hammered in his chest, desperate for a way out, any escape that wouldn't get Tsukihime hurt as well.

"How did you learn to travel through time?" Inuyasha gasped out, and though Hikireimaru smiled slyly, did not betray any sign of realising he was merely stalling for time.

"Many noble-blooded demons are able to do so naturally, should they take the time to harness it. It requires power and determination, guided by the assistance of a shaman or other magical force." At this Inuyasha's interest peeked, and Hikireimaru smiled knowingly. "Though it is never considered possible, most know better than to meddle with something as powerfully frail as time. The slightest error could bring our world collapsing down on top of us – Even I was hesitant to do so, though Touya is far too important for me not to risk the world for."

Dark brows descended. "But you…you can do it? You shouldn't but you – and others can do it?" Inuyasha asked, not realising how intrigued he sounded until the Demon smirked again.

"I can indeed, and many others have the potential, such as…your brother, for instance."

Suddenly the doors flew open. Inuyasha recoiled back against the sheets as the air whipped around him, bitter chill scratching over his flesh. A crash sounded as Hikireimaru fell to the ground, a rabid, feral snarl sounding from the creature tearing at him. Inuyasha shimmied up the opposite side of the bed. Tsukihime's awakened screams rang in his ears as he stared down at the form of Sesshomaru, scrambling on all fours like a beast, fangs bared. Eyes glowed a foreboding red in the semi-transformed face of his older brother. His face elongated into a muzzle that tore bloody ribbons into Hikireimaru's torso.

Hikireimaru laughed madly as blood stained his kimono, launching forward at the crazed canine rampaging towards him. "Come, come, compose yourself – MY LORD!" Screaming his last words the dark-haired-demon raked his claws through the side of the Demon Lord's face, making him howl in searing agony, flying to the side as Hikireimaru turned on the two on the bed.

A growl emanated from the back of Inuyasha's throat as he approached. Kicking out sharply Hikireimaru stumbled backwards. Inuyasha leapt from the bed. A cry tore free of him as something swiped his legs out from under him and he smashed into the floor, turning to take the brunt of the fall so that Tsukihime was unharmed. Hikireimaru was on them again, pressing himself down on a snarling Inuyasha's aching body.

"Get the hell of me!" The Half-demon screamed, eyes flashing red briefly as he plunged the claws of his free hand into the dark demon's chest, blood raining on his body as he twisted his claws spitefully in the brute's flesh. Again that horrifyingly maniacal laugh throbbed in his ears. Inuyasha threw his weight upwards in an attempt to break Hikireimaru's hold on him, but the creatures fangs fell down, clamped around his throat warningly, but not breaking the skin. And everything stopped.

"I have waited _so _long to find Touya, Inuyasha," the words hummed around the vulnerable flesh within the demon's grasp. "I am afraid I cannot allow you to interfere this time."

"You ain't taking my little girl anywhere you son-of-a-" he was cut off as the pressure around his throat increased, and breathing became difficult.

"I would hold still and fall silent…if I were you," the Dark-haired-demon hummed menacingly. He drew back for a scarce moment, crimson gaze falling to the screaming girl, choking on her cries in the Half-demon's protective arms. "Such pretty screams," the Demon purred. "A few short years and you can make those screams for a different purpose…"

Inuyasha started, as if from a fearful daze and sneered, lunging forward and throwing the creature from him. "You sick bastard…" The foreboding hum of a full-demon tainted his voice, making it coarse. Tsukihime silenced, starting up at him with wide, teary eyes as if in wonderment. "I don't give a shit how strong you are, if you try and take her I'll rip you apart." Markings crept across his face as fangs and claws grew but still the smirk did not fade from Hikireimaru's face.

"Assuming you can even touch me before I cut your throat-"

"-No one's ever killed me before, what make's you so damn special?"

"I am stronger than they were, than you are and ever will be."

"I won't die until you're gone from this world forever-"

"I have no intent to kill you, and cannot in any case, until…" He turned swiftly, words lost as the apparently forgotten Demon Lord lunged for him from the shadows, fangs lodging in Hikireimaru's shoulder with a sickening crunch. The darker demon howled with laughter, fangs grating together as he spoke. "…until…Lord Sesshomaru dies!"

Inuyasha's eyes widened with horror, too late as Hikireimaru smashed his own forehead to Sesshomaru's, forcing the dog-demon to release his hold before razor talons pierced his flesh, sending him crashing into the wall.

"Time to end this foolish play, _My Lord_…"

Hikireimaru's claws rose, poised over the Demon Lord's throat, glaring menacingly with the dim light. Inuyasha lunged forward, but a scream tore through the air that was not his own, and a blazing, fiery light that stung his eyes stopped him, blinding him. Heat licked his limbs as the fire encircled him though oddly, did not harm him. Beyond the smoke and flames he could see Hikireimaru and the fallen form of Sesshomaru through the smog. A glint of vibrant hair and a familiar voice heightened into a scream.

The flames erupted from Nannami's hands, and an evidently agonised Hikireimaru lunged for her clumsily. She cried out, falling from Inuyasha's view. The dizzying flames and the world swayed before Inuyasha's vision, and an unconscious darkness descended.

Thunder growled overhead, brazen flashes of lightning illuminating obsidian clouds that filled the winter sky. Soft footsteps pattered through the shadowed, almost endless halls, a single door shuddering open with an unruly screech of the aged wood. Even to one as young as the creature that tiptoed into the dark room, the darkness was no boundary, for demon-heightened senses the blackness was nothing. Golden eyes guided him to the modest bed where two forms slept soundly, untroubled by the storm. And there he stood silent and confused.

A glaring flash lit up the room, and as sudden as the lightning had struck, one of the forms on the bed bolted upright. Panicked briefly though swiftly settling, the dishevelled demoness rose from the bed slowly upon sight of her young lord standing silently at her beside in his sleeping attire.

"My Lord?" she asked gently, confused as to his presence. He said nothing in return, did not even meet her gaze. "My Lord, why are you out of bed at such an indecent hour?" For a moment she thought he was going to neglect to answer once more, but after a few delayed breathes…

"Father was not in his chambers," the child murmured, so formal even in his youth. Nannami frowned but as a second crash of light and roar of the sky outside startled the child before her, her face softened into one of understanding. "Come over here, Lord Sesshomaru," she beckoned, taking up a place on the window seat, patting her lap for him to follow. Normally the already proud little lord would scoff at her offer and turn his head away, and wait for her order, or the order of his father to comply with her wishes – that way he retained his dignity by giving the appearance of reluctance to being coddled or embraced by someone so freely.

This normal behaviour was forgotten at times such as these, where he was upset, or frightened, or even just confused, he silently clambered into her lap, falling rightly into place in a tight embrace, the sleeves of her yukata coming to encircle him snugly. He sighed shakily, eyeing the raging storm with naïve trepidation.

Content to gaze down at him for a few moments longer than necessary, Nannami cooed softly in the little lord's pointed ear, rocking him gently, before inkling her head to gaze out into the storm. "When the Lord Inu-no-Taishou takes you beyond the walls with him Lord Sesshomaru, what do you see?"

The demon infant tipped his head back vertically, the top of his head pressing into her chest as he stared directly up into her adoring face. "Trees…flowers…forests…sometimes Father takes me to the north and we see mountains!" He added the last part with no little amount of excitement that even the teachings to make him 'a proper lord' could not abolish. Nannami smiled at the lingering innocence in his eyes as the gold flared to life, though small fingers still gripping her encircling arms tightly when the heavens groaned in the distance.

"You like the nature beyond the walls? The forests, the mountains, the animals that live there?" She watched with a smile as the boy wrinkled his nose a little in confusion but nodded all the same.

"Do you know," she began, resting back against the pane of the window so that she could extend a slender, delicate hand beyond the panes to capture the rain in her palm, her arm remaining extended to the skies as she spoke, Sesshomaru's eyes never leaving her hand. "This very rain that you fear so, gives life to each of those things that you love."

"Is that true Nanna-sensei?"

"And in the morning, when the storm is gone, you will see how much more beautiful the rain has made the world while you were sleeping." At these words though, the boy frowned.

"I cannot sleep…" he murmured awkwardly, evidently embarrassed at such a weakness.

Nannami brought the boy to her closer, and he, still watching her extended hand, in turn held his own smaller hand out of into the rain. He smiled at the tickling sensation, drawing his hand back and realising she was smiling too. "See, there is nothing to worry about," she assured him, and he blushed.

"Nanna-sensei, did you used to be scared of the rain too?" he asked, determined to change the subject. She continued to smile.

"When I was much younger, yes, Lord Sesshomaru."

"And did your mother say the same thing to you?"

That startled her a little – that being a topic she was a little sensitive to, for whilst she could play mother to the child as much as she wished, she did not give birth to him, she was still only his nurse-maid. She would never know if it was because he had sensed her sensitivity to it that he spoke next, but somehow he knew what was wrong…

"Nanna-sensei – are you my mother?" he asked simply, staring out quite seriously at the dying storm as clouds rolled away slowly on the winds to burden distant lands with their load. The demoness allowed the silence to permeate the air a little before answering.

"No, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Oh…" he sighed, sounding a little disheartened. "But then…why do you look after me?"

"Because some bonds are made from different things than blood and bone, my Lord."

The child frowned, leaning back against her, a little more relaxed now the storm was passing. "I do not understand," he replied, even at this simple age not liking being confused.

"It is because…when you were born, Sire, you held your arms out to me… And from that moment forth you were special, because I was the one mother in the world who chose her son."

That same silence returned, though it seemed calmer than before, as the child's questions seemed to be answered. Nannami felt her eyes struggling to stay open, though pulled the little demon lord closer to her, appreciating the uniqueness of her situation for the first time since Sesshomaru had fallen into her life. How often was it in life she came across such a miracle as a child destined to be hers but was not born from her body, (a body unable to bear children)?

Not for the last time, she could not help but appreciate that while every path in life was forged from the decisions made in life, that every now and then fate dips into the road and intervenes, for better or worse. It didn't matter if one day loving this child destroyed her or everything around her, she would never permit any harm to befall him.

Where in the future a more grown, worldly Sesshomaru was sure he'd die before permitting death to take his brother, the demoness would never permit Sesshomaru to die while she had breath in her lungs.

Heavy lids twitched exhaustedly, though they had been closed in unconsciousness for some time. His body felt heavy, as if it were weighed down by led, as if the very silk sheets beneath him were an ocean, ready to accept his agonised body as the furs pressed him in, as heavy as iron. He inhaled slowly – he was in his own chambers, he could sense it, and his own bed shifted as something beside him moved. He was cold. He was so cold, the way he had not been since he was a sick infant. Warmth encircled him then, a comfort that rested gently against his chest.

Slowly, his lashes fluttered, as if drawn by a magnetic force that his eyes attempted to resist. Sunlight streamed in through the room, stinging his weak eyes. It looked so beautiful beyond the wooden panes, so why, until this sudden, nameless warmth, was he so cold. Was he dead?

"So you're thinking what – you're not gorgeous enough already, you need more beauty sleep?"

Those pained eyes rolled into the back of his head at those sarcastically growled words. Sesshomaru sighed, closing his eyes once more. "I have not felt so utterly wasted in decades…"

Inuyasha smirked, leaning further up his brother and resting his chin on the Demon Lord's chest so that he could look up at him. "Yeah well that's what happens when you let your demon take you over and a child-molesting freak shoves his hand through your gut."

Sesshomaru looked down past where his brother's head rested, barely catching a glimpse of the bandages wrapped snugly around his stomach through the rebellious head of silver hair. He tipped his head back dejectedly, recalling what had happened. Having sensed Hikireimaru, his demon had seized control for itself upon base instinct – that had never happened before. Occasionally his demon would struggle to the surface, it would peek in and cause swift and minimal damage but it had never taken him over so…completely before.

"You…you are alright?" the Lord asked, and Inuyasha frowned, but nodded slowly.

"Your daughter's ok too in case you wondered." There was a distinct biting sarcasm to his voice, one that made Sesshomaru wish he had woken to a more concerned sibling.

"Of course I-"

"-Considering all the trouble you went through to get me to squirt her out I figured you'd care more about her but you're just-"

"-Do you argue because I love you more than her?"

A silence fell, and Sesshomaru's eyes were trained on his shocked sibling. "It is a vile thing to say… Though I do care for her greatly… She is my life, and possesses more worth to me than this castle, these lands, than life itself… She _is _my life," he repeated, edging up the bed to sit up with no grace at all, his movements pained and erratic. "But you are my world. I care for you both, but I cannot change how I feel. I am not human, Inuyasha – I am not a dutiful father-"

"Our father-"

"-Our father was an unconquerable, unsurpassable creature, in heart and in strength – none have seen his like since… I am not like Father, Inuyasha. I am a Demon Lord, and a powerful one, but I possess neither such wisdom nor courage to become the father he was to me…and would have been to you."

Those last words seemed to bring pause for thought to them, and Inuyasha sat back off his brother for a moment, watching, and thinking. Sesshomaru took this thoughtful time to study him, examine his body, loosely dressed in a sleeping yukata, but bearing no wounds or scent of them having been there, aside from a few bruises, he was fine. He exhaled slowly.

"Where's this suddenly come from –you had an epiphany in your sleep about the Old Man or somethin?" Inuyasha asked, evidently confused, sitting back, cross-legged with his head cocked a little to the side. Some of his more doggish habits were returning along with some of old attitude. "Hikireimaru tried to kill you and kidnap your pup, and you're spitting out all these insecurities about-"

"-Do not be ridiculous, this Sesshomaru has _nothing _to be insecure about, I am perfection."

"Yeah, yeah, of course you are _princess_…" Inuyasha mumbled, sliding off the bed and onto his feet. "You've got a few too many holes in your gut to be perfection. And, if I got it right, this thing with you comparing yourself to the Old Man isn't a recent thing now is it?" To those words, Sesshomaru let out an almost inaudible sigh of exhaustion.

"Why must you argue with me even on my death bed-"

"Don't be a dumbass Sesshomaru, you're not dying you're healing very loudly. And _all _I am saying is…" He paused his speech, leaning down and reaching into the basinet for the silent baby, whose wide eyes turned from him to her 'father' on the bed as they approached him.

"Nobody said you had to be like him. And…maybe that's why you need me-"

"-I do not _need _you, I want you, that is the difference. I am a great demon lord, I do not need anyone or…" as he trailed of slowly, Inuyasha settled onto the edge of the bed, golden eyes suddenly deep, and pensive, staring into the depths of his being. Why was Inuyasha behaving so…strangely? "…anything," Sesshomaru finished, leaning forwards, despite the agony that stretched across his abdomen, but he bared it, clawed hands snaking around the back of the half-demon's neck, tracing the mark as he went, sending shivers down their spines, before their lips locked over their awed daughter's head, the child continuing to stare up at them.

Tongue delved deep into a half-demon mouth, tasting, yearning, loving, even while pain licked over his open wounds and uncertainty – yes, _insecurity _caressed his powerful mind.

"I think…" Inuyasha breathed as he pulled back for air, his next words coming out in between the ardent kisses laid against his pliant lips. "That…I know why…the world has never seen…anyone like him again…"

Confusion caused the Demon Lord to pull back, regarding his brother with a strange look.

"Because he's split in two," Inuyasha finished staring at his brother reassuringly, in a way he never had before.

_What is happening to him? _Sesshomaru wondered, though remained silent.

"You said: _unconquerable, unsurpassable creature, in heart and in strength – _'heart and strength' well…aren't we each one of those things?"

A smile danced briefly across the Demon's lips. "You suggest that together we are equal to Father?" He smirked at the way Inuyasha raised a devious eyebrow. "Impossible, had you known Father you would-"

"-Have been too afraid to say so? Maybe. But I think it's the truth, it's why we fit so well despite being at each other's throats all the time-"

"-Because you are his heart and I am his strength?" Sesshomaru asked stoically, as if not fully believing what he was hearing. Inuyasha smirked.

"Well, actually," he began, sitting their daughter up on his knee to face Sesshomaru. "I think it's the other way around."

As if to distract a confused Sesshomaru, Inuyasha held out their daughter to him, pressing her into the Demon's embrace. The solemn looking little girl stared up at him, as if thoughtfully. Her tiny hand reached up slowly, capturing his finger in her little fist, bringing it to her mouth to chew on harmlessly. Even Lord Sesshomaru could not hide the briefest fluttering of smiles from the on-looking half-demon.

"You came in half-transformed…I didn't know you could stop in between like that," Inuyasha stated after a moment's silence. His brother had been bulkier in his semi-transformed state, but had not necessarily grown any, but appeared as some sort of _'wolf-_man'. It had been odd to see, and though he would not admit it…more a little unnerving.

"I can morph into many different versions of my supreme form. Just as father could, and just as you would have, had you been full-blooded, as it is…" he paused here to meet his brother's eyes, a devilish gleam within his own. "Your supreme form is much more satisfying to take advantage of." A smirk graced the Lord's features once more, whilst Inuyasha blushed profusely.

"And earlier, with Hikireimaru, you changed."

"I did," Inuyasha replied simply.

"I would know how?"

"Dunno," the Half-demon then smiled deviously, "since you like my demon half so much I may let you have a demonstration some time." Although these words aroused Sesshomaru more than a little, his brow still furrowed into a frown.

"What is wrong?" he asked, his stoic voice betraying a hint of anxiety. Inuyasha shrugged.

"Nothing-"

"-Tell me. Why are you behaving so…differently?" Sesshomaru insisted, sitting up a little straighter, holder his daughter to his chest a little more.

"I…I just…" Inuyasha began, staring at anything other than Sesshomaru, making every last ditch effort to avoid his gaze as a blush suffused his face with colour. "I've been on edge, waiting for Hikireimaru to come back for me, for Tsukihime for such a long time I just… And today was… With all this talk about you dying for me and then…You scared the shit outta me you asshole!" He finally blurted out, and both Sesshomaru and their pup stared at him as if his outburst was proof of his insanity.

"What happened to Hikireimaru after? I did not see," Sesshomaru stated quietly, changing the subject so that he might spare his brother's pride, and spare himself from another argument. Inuyasha relaxed a little upon realising his brother was not going to push the issue, and shrugged slightly.

"Apparently just got a bit burned by Nannami, then he hit her and when Takara and the others showed up me, you, her and Tsukihime were the only ones in the room, nobody saw where he went or what happened to him."

Those words made Sesshomaru a little uneasy at first, but then it hit him, fast hard, like something tackling him to the ground. His eyes widened. "Nannami," he asked, faking impassiveness. "She stepped in, but Hikireimaru he…" He must have sensed the anxiety creeping into his voice, because he cleared his throat suddenly, and when he began speaking, his voice was a single, unwavering monotone once more. "What happened to her?"

Inuyasha inclined his head to the infant in Sesshomaru's grasp, pulling her gently into his embrace at the subtle sound of a hungry whimper rumbling in the back of her throat. Completely disregarding his brother's question and demanding gaze as he settled back against the pillows, and silently feeding her, purposefully avoiding his brother's question.

Sesshomaru ground his teeth together irritably, hiding a wince as he straightened up in bed. "You try my patience little brother," he growled, "answer the simple question."

"Can't, working on that 'tact' thing you keep whinging at me about," Inuyasha murmured carelessly, not even tearing his eyes from their daughter. This concern, this impatient anxiety that grated against his character only served to infuriate him more, especially since Inuyasha, for some reason was being purposefully unhelpful.

Inuyasha drew in a shaky breath. Why was he so wound up about telling Sesshomaru the truth? Was it because he knew Nannami? Because she had played such an integral part of his life since he had come here? Or was it something different? Something much more uncharacteristically…sweet?

A knock on the door caused the tension between them to tremble, though it did not disappear nor lessen in any way. "You are awake, Sire," came a nervous voice from the doorway. Sesshomaru looked up as the door closed, Kazuki approaching the bed slowly. "Takara asked me to come and check on you, Lord Sesshomaru."

Inuyasha smiled at Kazuki, gesturing with his head for the boy to come closer. "How's it going, learning to be Takara's apprentice?" the Half-demon asked distractedly. The young demon stopped short of the bed, bowing his head respectfully, before returning Inuyasha's smile.

"It is okay – I am running errands for Takara while he watches over Nannami-sensei, but now I…" He trailed off nervously. His hesitation drew a wounded Sesshomaru's patience to their limit.

"Perhaps," the Demon Lord began dangerously, "_you_, Kazuki could elaborate on my servant's condition, since my own mate is reluctant to explain it to me."

Kazuki swallowed nervously, looking to Inuyasha, who promptly rolled his eyes before turning his attention to Tsukihime once more. "Nannami-sensei…she protected yourself, Lord Inuyasha, and Lady Tsukihime with the fire…but when Hikireimaru attacked he… Nannami-sensei has lost consciousness, Lord Sesshomaru," Kazuki murmured mournfully, his soft, dulcet voice a melancholy hum. "Takara's done everything he can but he cannot find a way to bring her out of it… I am sorry, My Lord…"

Sesshomaru stumbled to his feet immediately, the once crisp white bandages staining an angry crimson, as did his world as his vision spun, and he tried to get a grip on with it. He heard Inuyasha's voice call out to him but ignored it, as he staggered past a confused Kazuki, and to the door that opened before he reached it.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

The innocent, childish voice of Rin swept over his senses. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and walked past her with as much dignity as he could muster, shutting the door behind him. After a few moments of stagnant silence, the two children turned to Inuyasha, searching him for answers.

The half-demon sighed, pulling his yukata back up as Tsukihime finished, and sitting her upright on his knee to burp her, avoiding the children's gazes, so full of questions that he didn't want to answer, did not even wish to contemplate for fear of revealing to the two that idolised him so just how clueless and childlike he remained, despite the dependant infant locked in his embrace.

"Lord Inuyasha?" Kazuki asked quietly, hesitantly. He looked to Rin when Inuyasha failed to answer. The little girl inhaled steadily, moving over to where the Half-demon was attempting to ignore them and crawling onto the bed to sit beside him, so that he could no longer pretend she did not exist. Expressive eyes caught his, and Inuyasha's brows knotted in a frown.

"And what do you want, squit?" he asked gruffly, attempting to cover his initial apprehensiveness at his question. He could sense Kazuki drawing nearer as well, and before he realised there were three sets of eyes staring up at him. He shifted uncomfortable, clearing his throat needlessly. It didn't achieve anything, or make him any less confused.

Wasn't he responsible for these three? And in a few years, when Tsukihime grew up, she would wonder thing, seek answers from him – perhaps why there was a paedophilic psychopath after her, or why she had two fathers who were brothers instead of a mother and a father from two separate bloodlines. There were just so many questions…questions that these three were going to ask…how did he go about answering them? How did he comfort and console when they cried? He had led a cold, hard life before he had come here, how did he turn all of that around to become the kind of parent he wanted to be?

"You are worried to, are you not, Inuyasha?"

The informality of his name startled him from his daze and he looked to Kazuki, who smiled nervously. "Will Lord Sesshomaru recover?"

"Can't stop that ass from getting back up unfortunately," he murmured, not missing the way Rin's gaze lingered over a curious Tsukihime. "How he'll react if Nannami doesn't wake up soon is more dangerous than any hole in his gut…"

Rin frowned, leaning forwards, eyes still occasionally flickering to the infant even as she spoke. "Lord Sesshomaru does not always show it, but he loves people just like we do." Kazuki frowned, awarding him a scolding gaze from the human girl, which of course, he blushed at.

"Will…will Nannami-sensei…be okay…Inuyasha?" the little demon asked, searching his make-shift parent for answers.

Inuyasha froze, gnawing his lip between his fangs for a moment; he sat up a little straighter, looking to Rin with a slight smile as he stretched out his arms to her. She looked awestruck at his unvoiced offer. "You two haven't been able to get a good look at her yet right?" he asked, "Take her."

Pressing the tiny body into Rin's arms, he adjusted the embrace without even thinking, so that the infant was supported in the human's arms. He sat back, watching as Kazuki leant in, and as Rin's new accomplice in everything, got a better look at his new 'sibling'.

"She's so pretty Lord Inuyasha," Rin cooed, smiling in girlish bliss as the pup's arm stretched out, touching her mortal cheek, as if testing the water's of her temperament to see if this was a person she could come to like or not. Rin beamed, slender fingers playing through silver hair. "She has soft hair like Lord Sesshomaru – I think if Lord Sesshomaru were a girl she would be his double no?" She giggled the last part, earning a smile from Kazuki, and an oddly proud smirk from the observing Half-demon.

"When can we play with her properly?" Rin asked him excitedly.

"Well I…" he trailed off before he had even began, realising what he was about to say. _'When Nannami has the time to watch you' _he was going to say, luckily, as Kagome had always seemed to hope, he was able to sometimes catch himself before he blurting out thoughtless words (when he was nervous enough anyway).

"She has her naming ceremony or whatever the stupid thing is called in a few days, when that's over and all those cretins get the hell outta the castle, things can get back to normal around here."

"If she has a name why does she need the naming ceremony?" Kazuki asked, wiggling his fingers over Tsukihime, making her tiny hand reach towards his own uncoordinatedly.

"Because it's a demon tradition Kazuki," Rin explained, pressing the little girl into Kazuki's arms carefully so that he could have his turn at holding her. It was all Inuyasha could do to suppress a laugh as that typical flush suffused the little demon's face with colour as Rin showed him how to hold the pup properly. "They have to ask their ancestors to bless the new pup, then they add its name to the family tree with witnesses and-"

"-And they are the dignitaries that are all staying here?" Kazuki finished, grinning at knowing something as well. Rin beamed nodding, causing a further smile to drift across the Half-demon's lips.

What was it about this little scene that touched him so deeply? Happiness…no…he was proud…of them? At this he reached up, stroking the pad of his forefinger softly over his mark in some unconscious, reassuring gesture to Sesshomaru, who he could sense was rapidly being overwhelmed by his new-found emotions.

_What's happening to me? _Inuyasha wondered, not for the first nor last time, as he watched his new 'family' (minus Sesshomaru). He'd been through so many physical changes in the last few months that he had not realised…just how much he had changed on the inside as well. Other than Kagome and a few others, when had he ever made an effort to console anyone before? When had he started worrying about his brother so…_hopelessly_.

_Oh gods… This had better not mean what I think it means, _he growled mentally, unwittingly permitting a smile to escape him. At this noise, the demon and the human looked up at him once more.

"Lord Inuyasha," Rin murmured, "you didn't answer."

Inuyasha frowned, cocking his head in confusion (more and more of his old habits coming back to him as rapidly as his original shape was).

Tsukihime was sitting on a cross-legged Kazuki's lap, her wide-amber eyes searching each of the faces in the room slowly, and when her eyes fell upon Inuyasha, she paused staring stoically into her parents eyes. Inhaling deeply the girl then began to fuss, obviously having realised her 'papa' wasn't holding her anymore.

An odd feeling overcame the Half-demon as he leant over and lifted the pup into his arms, pulling her against his chest once more. She fell silent immediately but that was not what affected him, this feeling in his chest, it swelled and spread like a blush over tender cheeks. Maybe it was seeing his wards and his daughter together for the first time that had triggered it, or perhaps the absence of Sesshomaru, or maybe even something else entirely, but whatever it was, he felt the need to tighten his hold on the infant, in some strange need to convey how much he cared for her. During his time in the world he had often heard women commenting on how they could simply 'pinch' a child's cheeks when they looked overly adorable or some such nonsense. And he had never understood it until know, when he wanted to squeeze his daughter so tight she knew exactly how he felt…

_Is this because of Hikireimaru? _He wondered, frowned heavily at the thought of the sick creature. _Because I nearly lost everything that, until recently, I thought I didn't want at all? Tsukihime, Sesshomaru…he has the power to take them away, and it is as if I've only just realised…I can't let him!_

"He reminds me of my Master…"

Inuyasha's head snapped up at that, and he and Rin stared at Kazuki in a mix of shock and horror. "What?" Rin asked quietly, awestruck. Kazuki lowered his head, apparently finding something very interesting about the material of his kimono.

"I meant…my old Master…before I came here… Hikireimaru reminds me of him, in some twisted way…"

There was an awkward silence, and Inuyasha, who was struggling for words to make his ward feel better, was grateful to Rin when she rested her hands on the boy's shoulders comfortingly. "But you are safe now Kazuki," she assured him softly, "And that man, Hikireimaru, he does not stand a chance against Lord Sesshomaru!" She exclaimed resolutely.

"Listen you two," Inuyasha said suddenly, leaping into speech before he lost his nerve, unable to sit in silence while the children lingered under the misconception that Sesshomaru held any power over Hikireimaru. "I know things look bad, but trust me, I've seen worse and…" he paused, tongue darting over his lips apprehensively, as if gathering the moisture on his flesh would reward him with some form of wisdom. "I don't know…if Nannami will get better…but whatever happens, you three-" he gestured to his wards and Tsukihime. "-You'll be safe. I…I can't see Hikireimaru giving up so easily, he'll be back, but when he does, I… I'll keep you safe, okay?" He blushed profusely, Kazuki mimicking the action, whereas Rin simply beamed.

"You will protect us, and Lord Sesshomaru will protect you, right Lord Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha snorted, rolling his eyes and ignoring the question. "I can't sense Hikireimaru around here anywhere though – I usually get this feeling come over me when he's near…torture…it builds a twisted kind of bond like that…" He risked a quick glance to Kazuki, sharing an understanding look with him before he continued. "He's nowhere around, so you're safe tonight, don't worry about it."

The two youngsters stared at him. Silence permeated the air surrounding them. The Half-demon shifted uncomfortably under their scrutinising gaze. "Well – beat it then ya little pests," he growled half-heartedly. The two beamed at him in a strange sort of knowledge of his ways and behaviour. They hopped to their feet, heading for the door. As Rin disappeared out of the doorway, Inuyasha's voice halted Kazuki's steps.

"Kazuki?"

The boy turned, his small, clawed fingers still pressing against the door as he met his makeshift father's eyes, so full of hopeless confusion that they were not unlike his – the eyes of a child forced to grow up far too fast.

"Yes, Lord Inuyasha?" he answered.

"You err…" the Half-demon took his time selecting his next words from the din of restless thoughts. "You're older than Rin, in mind and in body-"

"-But not wiser," Kazuki corrected him carefully. Inuyasha shrugged uncomfortably.

"Maybe," he responded, "but you've felt things…seen things that-"

"-Do not worry Sire," Kazuki interrupted him again, this time with a broad, reassuring smile. "You did perfectly."

"What?" Inuyasha asked with a frown. "What did I-"

"-Your first 'talk', to us – to anyone you're responsible for. It went ok," he said, punctuating his words with a small, courteous bow, before he departed the room, shutting the door behind him.

Eyes remained closed against the dim room, head propped up in his hands as he listened intently to the constant, weak breathing that filled the room. That oddly calming sound was disturbed by the door opening and closing, footsteps echoing in the deafening quiet. He did not move, nor acknowledge the new presence in the room, did not even raise his head, as the person stopped before him. "What is the extent of the damage?"

Takara merely shook his head in answer, not looking up from the soothing darkness of his palms. They had been in this ominous place before, when the Demon Lord standing before him had been much younger, but no more afraid than he was now.

"What…what is it that prevents her from awakening?" Sesshomaru asked, an odd anxiety tainted his voice. Takara stood shakily, back straightening as he stood before his lord, betraying no sign of misery or grief other than the glassiness of azure eyes and the wetness running down his cheeks.

"Hikireimaru struck her in his agony and desperateness to escape the flames – the flames of an elemental bring about an immeasurable pain, the like of which even a creature that has suffered as Hikireimaru has, cannot know." His voice was strong, unburdened by his inner pain, but Sesshomaru had known these two demons since birth, for many years in his solitude after the death of Inu-no-Taishou, and before the days of Jaken and Rin's presence at his side, Nannami and Takara were his only family, and even his slowly thawing heart ached to see them in this way.

"Hikireimaru struck her," Sesshomaru repeated, "But that cannot be what prevents her from awakening – she is stronger than that."

Takara shook his head slowly at those words, momentarily unable to speak without betraying the tempest of emotions in his heart. So he gathered breath for some while, before venturing speech. "He must have used some form of poison…I can detect the toxin in her blood – I can see what it is doing to her – draining her of the very colour to her cheeks. She is dying, My Young Sire, it is killing her."

Sesshomaru shook his head, moving past Takara and to the bedside, where he stood, staring down at the form of someone who had been like a mother to him, and watching her very breath withering away with every passing moment. The darkness cast blessed shadows over the two demons, shielding the glassiness of their eyes from the other, and though they could both taste the scent of the bitter salt on the air, neither said a word.

Takara had been right. Nannami's skin was a sickly white, crimson and gold locks spread over the pillow unceremoniously, vivid eyes once so full of life remained closed on the world, and sweat beaded over her skin as her pale, weak knuckles whitened with their death-grip on the sheets. "She is in pain," Sesshomaru acknowledged, and he sensed more than saw Takara nod.

"The poison, it is eating her from the inside out – painfully slowly. The agony is what keeps her unconscious, she will wake but no matter what I give her for the pain she will pass out from it before she can even swallow…" It was then that Takara's voice broke, and he collapsed into the chair behind him. "She is _dying_…" he whispered, his cracked voice at last betraying his tears. "She is in agony… That bastard, he is torturing her. I cannot help her..."

Sesshomaru turned his gaze from Takara in decency to the man, permitting him his tears without having to suffer the degrading sight of his Lord staring at him in disappointment upon realising he had no answers to saving the life of his almost 'mother'. "SHE IS DYING!" Takara screamed, raising his voice for the first time in centuries. "I CANNOT HELP HER!"

"Takara!" Sesshomaru all-but shouted, looking to his advisor and most trusted friend. "This is a fault of my own… She was defending _me-_"

"-With all due respects Sire," Takara interrupted, staring into the face of his lover and mate, avoiding Sesshomaru's eyes. "I did not blame you when she saved you all those centuries ago, and the action rendered her barren. Nor do I blame you now." He smiled, despite the tears. "Nanna loved you, _Sesshomaru_," Takara murmured, meeting the Demon Lord's eyes as he whispered his name, for the first time in his life with any respectful adage, only the sadly doting gaze a father might offer his son. "I share that love, for you… And she is dying because Hikireimaru is a monster, not because she loves you."

The servant circled the bed slowly, crossing the room to rest a single hand on his Lord's shoulder, as the Demon Lord continued to stare down into the face of the unconscious demoness. "Love does not kill, Sesshomaru," Takara added, his voice low, soft, comforting, as Inu-no-Taishou's had been, as Sesshomaru's was when he spoke to Inuyasha in such a manner. "Fire kills, nature kills, demons kill – _Hikireimaru _kills. You – _you _have killed… But not today," he finished, his hand slipping from the Demon's shoulder as he dropped carefully onto the edge of Nannami's bed, his long, healing fingers interlocking with his love's agonised, unconscious ones.

Suddenly a knock sounded, and though Sesshomaru did not so much as turn his head, Takara cleared his throat in an attempt to make his voice strong again, and called out. "Yes?"

"It's me," came Inuyasha's voice. Takara gave a small smile.

"Come in, Lord Inuyasha."

The door opened, and the Half-demon stepped inside, Tsukihime sound asleep and wrapped snugly in her yellow blanket within his secure embrace as he approached them. "I put Rin and Kazuki to bed," Inuyasha said hesitantly, as if scared any word might offend the two in the room. "They're asleep but…" He looked to Sesshomaru, who seemed to continue to ignore his very presence. "But you didn't come back so I…"

When his words trailed off into nothingness, Takara gestured to Sesshomaru, shaking his head just enough so that Inuyasha understood, but little enough so that his Lord didn't see. Inuyasha nodded, approaching Sesshomaru carefully.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth, lowering himself slightly to rest a hand on his brother's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek uncharacteristically into the Demon Lord's back. Takara saw this and (unnoticed by Sesshomaru) nodded reassuringly to the half-demon with a sad smile.

"Come back to bed, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha practically purred quietly, sacrificing his pride and dignity in an effort to draw his 'secretly' distressed sibling away from this scene. Reluctantly though gracefully, the demon rose to his feet, heading for the door.

"I will fix this, Takara," He muttered, before leaving the room. Inuyasha growled under his breath at the way his brother disregarded him, and followed after him as quickly as his still healing body permitted.

After he had caught up with Sesshomaru, the walk back to their chambers was forebodingly quiet. Whenever Inuyasha spoke, the Demon failed to respond, failed to show any sign of realising he was there at all, as if it were Inuyasha's fault this had all happened. The Half-demon was losing his patience rapidly and by the time their door was in sight, everything had begun to drive him crazy.

"If you don't speak to me so help me I'll put this kid down in the bedroom and kick your as up the hallway, I don't care how bruised my asshole is or how much you're hurting, I'm trying to help you!"

SLAM!

Inuyasha groaned as Sesshomaru seized him by the throat, not cutting off his air supply simply pinning him to the wall. "Do NOT assume that you know me, HALF-BREED!" Sesshomaru spat. Inuyasha sneered, the infant in his arms awakening.

"That _half-breed_ shit again is it? Fine then, fuck you, I don't need this!" He struggled to be free, but with Tsukihime in his arms could not throw his brother off. "GET OFF ME!"

"You will _stay _here until you understand…you know _nothing _you hear me? NOTHING!"

"I know that you're supposed to love me," the Half-demon bit back, only making Sesshomaru's fury intensify. He knew Sesshomaru was merely lashing out at him from the depths of his helplessness, but that did not justify anything that he was doing or saying in the least.

"Do not _dare_ throw those words back in my face you uneducated _mongrel_!"

"I didn't damn well do that to Nannami so get the hell off of me you and stop acting like a stinkin' brat!"

SMACK! Sesshomaru's fist collided with his cheek. Inuyasha winced but did not cry out. It stung, it throbbed but unless the fresh bruising beginning to brew on his cheekbone was pressured it would not hurt _half_ as much as some of the things he had suffered in his life. He growled angrily under his breath.

"You hit me while I'm holding this pup again and I'll _fucking _kill you," he snarled dangerously. Suddenly a piercing cry escaped their daughter's throat, and Sesshomaru stopped, seeming to come back from himself. The crimson fury that had begun to creep across his vision, seeping back into the recesses of his agonised mind. His hand slipped from his baby brother's throat, and for a moment he simply stared at him before throwing himself over Inuyasha face pressed gently against the bruising his fist had made on contact, and licking it softly in his form of silent apology, the contact his way of apologising without forfeiting his pride.

Inuyasha whined softly at the pleasure/pain contact, the little noise slowly drawing his daughter's cries back down to nothing once more. The pressure of that tongue against his cheek disappeared, and Sesshomaru head pressed into his neck slowly, together the three dog-demons sinking to the floor together. No sound escaping the Demon Lord's lips, only that damned wetness running silently down Inuyasha's neck from where his face was pressed.

The moments passed, and like the sand of an hourglass when watched, it passed so painfully slow, and Inuyasha sighed heavily, free arm coming around to wrap gingerly around his brother's body, unsure how to react to such a blatant 'weakness'. Had he cried like this when their father died? Silently, secretly to himself, so that no one saw the sadness, the _weakness_. Or was it that because his heart had been thawed so recently by this proclaimed 'love' for him, that it was that much more susceptible to pain.

"It's alright I forgive you," Inuyasha murmured, pressing his head into Sesshomaru's gently and emitting a purring, gentle growl in his ear. He felt Sesshomaru smirk against his neck. A butterfly kiss fell upon his mark, before he felt Sesshomaru draw back and gather himself to his feet. Looking up, a clawed hand extended to him, helping him to his feet.

"You astound me sometimes, Inuyasha. I assume I know you, and how you will react…and you do the opposite." He leaned down, brushing a kiss to the Half-demon's forehead before heading into their chambers, holding the door open for Inuyasha and Tsukihime to follow before closing it behind them.

Inuyasha sighed in relief at being back in his room, safe (as far as he was concerned anyway). He moved across the room, laying a sleepy Tsukihime down in the ornate bassinet, whispering incoherently to her as he rubbed her back in slow circles. Without much effort, amber eyes fluttered closed on the dimly lit room.

Turning back to the room and Sesshomaru, he saw his brother was once again dressed in his sleeping attire, the Half-demon slid into bed carefully, grateful for the feel of the lush sheets around his achingly tired body. However, even as his body settled, another silence fell, and he lowered his head awkwardly. This was not one of those wondrous, blissful silences he had come to share with his older sibling on those rare occasions in post-orgasmic wonderment or the pensive silence where they could nearly read each other's thoughts. This was a deafening quiet, where his heart throbbed in his ears, as he struggled to find the right way to phrase his words…

"Sesshomaru," he began slowly, as if testing the air for what he was attempting to say. "Hikireimaru he…he said some things about, Touya and…well…_you_." At this he looked up at his brother at last, meeting his evidently perplexed gaze. "He told me about how he learnt to harness time to reach Touya the first time and…he said that you-"

"-No," Sesshomaru interrupted. Inuyasha frowned.

"What?"

"I said no, Inuyasha," he repeated, standing as steadily as his (granted rapidly healing) wounds would permit, moving over to the window and staring out across the world, not meeting his brother's eyes for some reason or another. "Do not ask me…"

"Ask you _what_?" Inuyasha demanded, irritated by the confusion racing through his mind. What was his brother talking about?

"I cannot refuse you anything, not now…So I ask that…I _demand_ you not ask me…"

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha all-but growled warningly, his patience thinning. "What the _hell _are you talking about?"

It was then that the full-demon turned, watching his brother solemnly, eyes unreadable though undeniably emotional, but his voice steady, unmoved by whatever was bothering him. "Do not ask me to bend time, to take you to the future – do_ not_ ask that I take you to see your priestess…_Please_…"

Inuyasha watched him closely. A small, tired cry sounded from the crib, and before Inuyasha could even get up, Sesshomaru reached down to the quietly whimpering infant, bringing the girl to his chest in an effort to distract himself from the embarrassment of what he had just expressed to his little brother.

"Perhaps you do not despise me as much as I assumed?" Sesshomaru asked the baby as she yawned widely, head resting against his chest tiredly as her tiny fingers toyed with the soft fabric of his yukata. Though he attempted to ignore his brother, the Demon Lord could not escape his gaze as he patted the girl's back gingerly, unsure as to whether what he was doing was right. The Half-demon was watching him with an oddly doting look lingering in his golden gaze.

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha began, but Sesshomaru betrayed no sign of having heard him speak. The little girl in his embrace yawned again, her little fist moving to her mouth where she chewed on it sleepily. Sesshomaru frowned pulling her hand away from her mouth. "Perhaps I should have some form of comforter* forged for you if this incessant sucking persists, hn?" he intoned softly, barely able to refrain from smiling to himself as he felt the infant's breathing fall to a soft purr, signalling her slumber. _*(A/N: Comforter, really ancient version of a dummy/pacifier if you're in the US)._

Slowly lowering the tiny body into the ornate bassinet, before drawing up slowly, Sesshomaru still failed to turn and face Inuyasha. "I will ask Takara to enquire about something for her; she cannot keep gnawing on her own flesh in such a manner." Even as he spoke he was barely withholding a smile. Though this was not one of bliss or contentment, it was a sad sort of gesture that he refused to reveal to anyone, even Inuyasha.

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha repeated, though this time with a voice barely above a whisper, as if he found the word too awkward to speak aloud. Sesshomaru turned slowly to his brother, the smallest part of his being scared to turn for fear of what his brother would say next.

When demon eyes fell on the half-demon, everything began to move so slowly, as if in slow-motion. Inuyasha returned his gaze with doe-eyes, so subservient and different to the fiery fury that had glowed there mere moments before. The yukata slid down supple skin to pool at his feet, and a drawn-out moment fell between them before the half-demon stepped towards him fluidly.

There was something between them then, something that changed them for that brief moment, so out of character as they stood before each other. Sesshomaru remained still as stone as two arms encircled his neck, and lips rose to the gashes across his cheek. And on some level, as a soft tongue swept across the wounds, sealing them, the Demon Lord knew exactly what rooted him to the spot, what drew Inuyasha to him. Kagome.

That tongue danced over the pain with comfort, until the wounds healed, and Inuyasha, instead of drawing back, dropped his head forwards onto his mate's chest, unintentionally mimicking the movements of his daughter. "Why are we behaving like this?" Sesshomaru asked expressionlessly. He sensed his brother swipe his suddenly dry lips with his tongue, tasting the air before he responded.

"It'll pass, these moments always do…"

Sesshomaru blinked, understanding what his brother meant, understanding how the balance between them linked finely together. The slightest thing tipped the scales either way. There was a temperamental mood between them always which changed with the wind, that was what kept the fire between them, but here was the one thing that had the power to douse those flames – Inuyasha's feelings for the priestess.

"I never intended to ask," Inuyasha stated suddenly, his voice deathly quiet, barely breaking the silence. "You can't mess with time, it could twist it to something…ugly…it could hurt people – Tsukihime or…"

"…Me?"

Inuyasha blushed, drawing back awkwardly from his brother. Eyes darted across the room, searching for anything to focus on that would distract him from meeting Sesshomaru's eyes at that moment. "I'm not planning on time-skipping, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha finished, moving back to the bed and crawling under the sheets – suddenly very aware of how naked he was, and not at all comfortable with that nudity now that the 'mood' had shifted. "And I better not catch you smiling," he called back to his brother, his usual gruff tone returning to cover up his initial embarrassment.

Suddenly, as if a foul wind had swept through the warmth of the room, a shudder shook Inuyasha' frame. Sesshomaru frowned at the abnormality of it. "Inuyasha?" he asked, "are you alright?" BANG. BANG. No sooner had the words left the Demon Lord's lips than the sound crashed against the shutters, shaking them almost completely from their frames. Sesshomaru darted to the window nearest the cradle, a quick glance discerned that the child within was still asleep (evidently too tired to be awoken again). Golden eyes raced over the now still shutters, and both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha fell quiet, listening intently for another sound. But aside from their racing heartbeats and soft breathing of the sleeping infant, none came.

"What the _hell _was that?" Inuyasha asked, Sesshomaru holding up a hand to silence him. For once, Inuyasha did as he was told.

Heart-beat clattered as his hands reached forward slowly, quietly, not betraying a sound nor shadow. Clawed fingers reached for the latch. He threw the wooden panels open, the shutters slammed into the wall outside, ricocheting off the stone loudly. The moonlight swam in through the window, bathing the room in ethereal light, but there was no one outside the window nor sign of them having been there, except…

"What's that?" the Half-demon asked with a frown as the Sesshomaru turned back to him after closing the shutters once more, presenting a small black bottle in hand – the item he had found on the sill. The older sibling approached the bed, glancing at the tarnished scroll attached the bottle before passing the glass and the note to Inuyasha. The Half-demon's eyes scanned it before snorting awkwardly. "You know I can't read it, jackass," he growled in annoyance. "_Uneducated mongrel_, remember?"

Ignoring the echo of his words, Sesshomaru stared down at him stoically. "It says," he began stiffly, as if there were a lingering bitterness on his tongue, "_Antidote for the baby_."

They shared a horrified look. "Someone wants Tsukihime in exchange for the antidote," Sesshomaru growled dangerously low. Inuyasha shook his head.

"No…" he whispered as he opened the bottle cautiously. Sesshomaru's eyes widened as he caught his brother's actions.

"No – stop! Don't-" but he was too late as the Half-demon took a wary sniff of the contents. His eyes widened in recollection of that abhorrent scent that drifted from the opened bottle. His face contorted in a horrified sneer and he launched it across the room, watching the glass smash. Shards glistened in the low light as they crashed to the floor, liquid staining the wood-flooring by the window.

"It's Hikireimaru," Inuyasha murmured loathingly, as his stared at the shards, "that liquid, it's my…" he flushed in awkwardness at being unable to say the word, and disgust at the memory of his capture. "It's from when he caught me that time…"

Sesshomaru sneered in repugnance at the Hikireimaru's methods at getting his message across. The Demon Lord's troubled, shattered gaze mingled with his brother's, each considering the other's thoughts for a moment, before Inuyasha spoke. "He's offering us Nannami's life for Tsukihime's… What do we do?"

Sesshomaru did not answer. He didn't _know _the answer.

TBC

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A/N: Hope you liked **PLEASE REVIEW **so I know i havent lost anyone, i really hope i havent :( Believe it or not i can remember all the reviewers names so i do miss some of ya if i dont hear from ya *hugs* Next chapter will be up in a few days. Sankyou xxxx

Shigure-san

X chuu x


	31. The Fiercer Flame

Author's Note:  
This chapter brings back my apparently fave technique _'the flashback within a flashback'_ technique so don't let that confuse you lmao XD its only a little bit anyway. This chapter was really hard to write since I hadn't planned this part of the story, and its not my favourite of chapters. I kept going over and over it. Please don't be to harsh on it, I really tried. Hope you like! Enjoy and review everyone!

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**Chapter Thirty-One  
The Fiercer Flame**

_Flames licked at each other in the hearth like reunited lovers. Slick oils drizzled from demonic fingers as they splayed over half-demon flesh. A delicious sigh spilled from flushed lips and Sesshomaru felt a shiver run up his spine as a result. It may as well have been him receiving the massage for all the sensations that were coursing through his body…_

_"Sometimes I think I understand you," Inuyasha growled quietly, his eyes closed, head lolling forwards in his upright position on the bed as he felt his sibling massage his aching shoulders and back diligently. "And then other times…what's at your core, what makes you do what you do, act the way you act, it completely eludes me…"  
Sesshomaru smirked, averting his claws as he kneaded Inuyasha's aching muscles, worn from the extra weight he'd been carrying lately.  
"Is it imperative that you understand me, Inuyasha?"  
"Whatever," the Half-demon mumbled, a flush suffusing his face with colour. "It's not like I give a crap or anything…"_

_Leaning closer to the Half-demon, Sesshomaru hummed softly, his fingertips grazing pensively over the younger male's lower back, and the place where, mere days ago, on the night of their mating ceremony he had expressed in writing for none other's eyes, the deepest darkest secret of that complex web in his chest... His heart._

_Sesshomaru recalled the harsh silence of the hall as his hand guided the brush across his sibling's shoulders in beginning his vows._

"There's no vow for love on here," Inuyasha had murmured, distracting Sesshomaru from his thoughts.  
"Hn?"  
"I know there's nothing like that between us, but don't other demons have it? They're not all heartless asses like you are they?" 

_At those hushed words, he had flicked his brush over the small of Inuyasha's back, where his fingers now traced. 'Love', what an interesting notion it had been even then, when he had not fully comprehended that this, was in fact what he felt for his sibling. Now it was dwelling inside, caught in the web of his heart, writhing, screaming to be heard yet as silent as death, a death that walked hand-in-hand with such an emotion…_

_"You're sad," the present, much more pregnant Inuyasha stated, reading him through their bond. "What's 'Prince Perfect' got to be miserable about?"  
Sesshomaru smirked, leaning in and pressing a kiss to the nape of his mate's neck.  
"Merely pondering our vows."  
"Vows?" Inuyasha asked, leaning back against his brother with a soft sigh, seizing the two arms of his stronger sibling and bashfully wrapping them around himself so that they enveloped the telltale bulge of his stomach. "What ya thinking about those for? What my handwriting not good enough for ya?" He asked, attempting to lighten the weighted aura that had settled around his brother._

_"Indeed it left much to be desired," the Demon Lord all-but teased, "Nevertheless I was pondering the words more than the calligraphy…"  
"Yeah?" Inuyasha asked thoughtfully, tapping his fingers softly on his rounded stomach beneath the protective hands of his mate.  
"You asked me for something then, without realising, and I, without realising, bestowed it," the Demon purred, and Inuyasha blushed, though remained confused.  
"Keh, like I'd ask you for anything ya prissy ass-muncher," he growled softly. He inclined his head to the side and whined softly as he felt his sibling nip his throat gently, provocatively.  
"As simple as that, you mention, and I, as the devoted alpha, have no choice but to provide… Maybe one day I should divulge to you my darkest secret," he teased._

_Inuyasha snorted, and his eyes fluttered shut slowly, his thoughts drifting to things unrelated to his conscious world. Sesshomaru was talking in riddles, as ever, and thanks to his overly active pup he didn't have the energy for it tonight (especially since the playful fangs grazing his flesh indicated his energy would be required elsewhere)._

_Feather-soft those touches lowered his back to the bed, and fleeting passes of that mouth danced down his torso before worshipping his stomach slowly. Inuyasha growled in irritated embarrassment but did not protest. At these moments, no matter how they may grate against his normal 'character', but they still offered that elated feeling of specialness, of adoration and affection he so desperately craved, from his own brother nonetheless…_

The vivaciousness of the surrounding crowds seemed to be mocking their inner turmoil, passing them greeting them with pleasant smiles, unaware of their confused agony. Sesshomaru's exterior may have portrayed a sense of calm indifference but Inuyasha was not as successful at hiding his emotions, and nor did he care to try either. He made no effort to hide how pointless this seemed to him, and refused to great the guests along with his mate who stood at his side, doing both their duties himself.

"How can you act like such a heartless prick?" Inuyasha whispered bitterly, "As if any of this 'tradition' crap matters…"  
"It matters a great deal Inuyasha," Sesshomaru retorted stoically, "by witnessing our daughter's naming ceremony, these dignitaries are bound to honour and protect her; it is a blood-oath between demons that cannot be broken…"  
"So?" Inuyasha asked, still so displeased with this entire festivity, especially since his body was still not fully healed, and this event pulled him away from his endangered pup.  
"So – you foolish pup – in times of war, even if these lords should turn against us, they cannot harm Tsukihime to bend us to their will, or any other such foul act that demons are capable of."  
"Shame ya can't get that pervert Hikireimaru to take this oath then…"

At the muttered rumbling of the demon's name, a few of the closest demons looked taken aback, beginning to whisper amongst themselves. Sesshomaru offered his sibling a warning look, before clearing his throat, the guests instantly calming, as if the noise were a death threat.

"Do not jest about such matters, Little Brother," The Demon Lord reprimanded quietly, in between his greetings. "You need not behave so; Takara is with Tsukihime, getting her ready, he will bring her down to you as soon as the guests have settled in the hall."  
Inuyasha growled something incoherent under his breath, but did not argue any further.

"Lord Sesshomaru…_Lord_ Inuyasha…" The feminine sugar-coated bile of that voice snapped the Half-demon from his daze and he looked up as Ran and Hachirou came to stand before him and Sesshomaru. "You do us a great honour in inviting us to bless your daughter."  
"Keh…"  
"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru scolded under his breath, inclining his head politely to the two demons. "Naturally you were among the first we thought of-"  
"-as potential backstabbers…"  
"Inuyasha!" The Demon Lord practically spat. Hachirou smirked.  
"It is no bother, Lord Sesshomaru," Hachirou answered. "Lord Inuyasha is unlike us in the way he was not born nor raised for this kind of social standing. His uniqueness is…interesting to say the least. Such brazen disregard for decorum is…refreshing?"

Inuyasha's mouth opened to retort but one cutting glance from his mate snapped his mouth shut once more. Hachirou's grin never wavered upon seeing this kind of 'control' exorcised upon the Half-demon. "Yes…most refreshing," he purred, before leading Ran slowly into the hall with the others.  
"I don't trust that slimy-"  
"-Regardless, you would do well to hold your tongue," Sesshomaru warned over him. "Even Rin…even someone as socially impeded as Kazuki understands that it is inadvisable to speak and behave as you do with these people."  
Inuyasha sneered.  
"You'd have me bow and scrape?" he growled. "You'd have me shatter my pride and be some bullied little slave like Kazuki used to be?"  
"That is not what I meant when I used him as reference-"  
"-Well it sure sounded like it," Inuyasha argued, his voice so low only Sesshomaru could hear. "I don't even like forgoing my pride for _you_ much less these stuck up-"  
"-This is not what it is about," The Demon Lord concluded. "You are angry with me for some other reason. I would know what it is?" As if those words held some kind of power, Inuyasha fell silent and looked away from him, flushed with fury.

The awkward silence lingered, like a foul odour in the air. Inuyasha kept his head down, hands folded awkwardly in the sleeves of his ornate kimono, which Ayane and her sister had made to complement Sesshomaru's, (the twins among the last of the guests to enter the hall). And that cutting soundlessness, it remained even as the foyer stood completely empty, of all but the two lords of the west.

Sesshomaru studied his brother closely, noting that the Half-demon's emotions seared through his mark with a burning ferocity that only intensified with each silent moment between them. Suddenly his sibling turned from him, moving to exit into the garden.

Everything moved as if in slow motion.

Something whooshed past him. Inuyasha's hair and clothes followed the movement. Harsh pressure seized his torso and his muscles screamed as his back collided roughly with the wall, a strong hand pressing relentlessly on his chest, pinning him firmly in place. Inuyasha snarled, claws trapped somewhere above his head by a second hand, and he had nowhere to hide his eyes, not with those two pools of dangerous gold staring into them.

"Get _off_ me," Inuyasha growled. Sesshomaru ignored him.  
"If and when you give me a suitable answer," he murmured. "You are angry with me; you have been emanating these intolerable waves of tortured fury ever since last night. I have been a little stretched as far as duty and responsibilities as of late and…while I may not have been able to give you the amount of my time you deserve it is not without reason, I am…_tired_ Inuyasha."

The Demon Lord sighed heavily, leaning in to press his forehead against his sibling's, his own crimson-lidded eyes closed against the brightness of the room. Inuyasha blushed; unconsciously breathing in the Demon's scent deeply, his tongue darting out to wet his dry lips.

"I am sorry…"  
Inuyasha frowned. "Sorry for what?"  
Spanning the gap between them, Sesshomaru flicked his tongue over a flickering ear, before brushing the hair of his brother's head with his nose and mouth carefully. I did not save you in time…" At the Demon's words, Inuyasha's eyes widened. "Hikireimaru…he did not…" Sesshomaru's voice shattered, as if he could not force those words from his throat. "He did not…_rape_ you but, he did enough, he hurt you, he took away the few things you possessed that nobody had been allowed to touch, weakening you, scaring you, and you…you are angry at me, for not coming to get you before that happened…"

Inuyasha caught his lower lip between his fangs, blinking back any telltale glassiness.

_Fine, silver strands were wrapped around the bottle, and he shuddered to realise, it was his own hair – the hair Hikireimaru had severed from him, in that room, the one that haunted his dreams… Swallowing hard, he opened the bottle cautiously. Sesshomaru's eyes widened as he caught his brother's actions.  
"No – stop! Do not-" But he was too late._

_The Half-demon took a wary sniff of the contents. His eyes widened in recollection of that abhorrent scent that drifted from the opened bottle. His face contorted in a horrified sneer and he launched it across the room, watching the glass smash. Shards glistened in the low light as they crashed to the floor, liquid staining the wood-flooring by the window._

_"It's Hikireimaru," Inuyasha murmured loathingly, as his stared at the shards, "that liquid, it's my…" he flushed in awkwardness at being unable to say the word, and disgust at the memory of his capture. "It's from when he caught me that time…"_

"I was foolish to believe you had recovered from the incident so quickly – Tsukihime's presence distracted you from it, I believe but…you have not let me touch you without a wary look in your eyes. You have not wanted to be in presence of others and, moreover…whenever a flicker of a reminder of Hikireimaru returns you…you are not your usual self-"  
"-And how would you know what my usual self is!" Inuyasha snapped suddenly. "It's always about you isn't it? Why the hell would I be angry at _you_, jackass! I…I…I'm not angry, or scared – I'm not weak! You bastard you – you have no idea!"

The betraying brokenness to his words and voice enraged him even more, his body thrashing in his mate's hold. "Why is pinning me to the damn wall the only way you solve things! If I'd wanted this much violence in my life I'd have fucked Naraku – Get off me! GET OFF ME!" Inuyasha screamed, resonating words soaring over the murmurs of curiosity coming from inside the hall. "Stop assuming you know _everything_ there is to know about me!"  
Sesshomaru hummed softly, leaning in to stroke his cheek over his sibling's.  
"I know enough," he purred, the sound reverberating through his Half-demon's ears. "I know that you hate feeling this way as much as I dislike seeing you suffer-"  
"-Just let me kill him."

Everything stopped.

Sesshomaru drew back to meet his brother's eyes, his brother's erratic breathing, rapid from shouting, the only sound throbbing in his ears.

"Hikireimaru is coming." The statement poisoned the air like smog. Sesshomaru frowned as he stopped just behind his mate, staring pensively at the sunlit silver strands of hair that swayed gracefully in the humid summer breeze. "He won't give up until he gets what he wants or he dies….and when the time comes I want to be the one to crush the vile air outta him…"

At those words, Sesshomaru's grip loosened and he stepped back, permitting his brother to regain his upright posture. The Half-demon grumbled resentfully under his breath, rubbing his abused wrists where his brother had held them against the wall moments before. "And you could make a point of _not_ throwing your hands around my throat every time we argue," he stated, his usual cavalier attitude seeping into his voice. "If you do that again I'll damn well hit you back," he warned, moving past his brother carelessly to stare out of the archway and over the courtyard to the front of the castle.

The sun bathed the rich lands, his eyes requiring a moment to become accustomed to the brilliance. "I will endeavour to cease resulting to violence to force you to listen," Sesshomaru assured him, pressing in closer so that his chest was flush against the younger male's back. "However, I was correct, was I not?"

Inuyasha sighed, tilting his head back slightly to stare out across the world. "It's too calm," Inuyasha breathed, unsure of this sudden lurch of unease that had sent his stomach into turmoil. "Something's wrong."

An Infant's cries filled the room. The tiny body in the bassinet struggled, arms outstretched to thin air. Takara stared out of the window vacantly, each painful moment slipping through his fingers like sand from an hourglass. Somewhere across the hall the one he loved more than anything was lying, bleeding her life away, her insides twisting to be on the out. _Everything I ever loved is dying_, the Demon thought, turning his attention to the screaming infant at last, his azure eyes glazed over with emotion.

"This is an awful mess you have been born into My Lady," the Demon cooed to her, his healing hands reaching into the cradle and plucking the child from it, holding her writhing body to his chest. "That monster is in love with the previous body of your soul…and will do anything to have you. My Lords are strong to be sure and…I am _confident_ that nothing will ever happen to you while either of them breathes." His voice broke, grated against his throat as if it were laced with sandpaper. "But it seems, in protecting you; terrible things befall everyone else in the path."

_"Love does not kill, Sesshomaru." He had told his Lord. "Fire kills, nature kills, demons kill – Hikireimaru kills. You – you have killed… But not today…"_

"Love does not kill and yet…pain inevitably follows it," Takara murmured to the slowly quietening pup. "I love Nanna more than anything in the world…and she is going to die…because Lord Sesshomaru and Hikireimaru love you…" He sighed hopelessly, fingers tightening around the infant's blanket. "Unless I do something to stop it…"

The noise from the hall had settled, but the noise, the all-but unbearable roar of warning in his ears…in his heart, was deafening.

"Wrong?" Sesshomaru asked him, moving to stand beside him, an irritatingly concerned look gracing his features. "I would know what you mean."  
Inuyasha frowned at the horizon, as if it were to blame for all the trouble he could sense approaching.  
"I don't know, but it's just too quiet. I…"

Suddenly he stopped. He spun on his heel, eyes widened as if in horror. "Tsukihime!" he gasped out. Tearing himself from Sesshomaru's side he sped across the hall, leaping up the stairs. His Feet scarcely touched the ground. He could feel Sesshomaru fright behind, he felt his stomach churn with a foreboding lurch. Tsukihime was scared. Skidding round the corner he threw himself at their door, sending it flying open with such force it shuddered in its frame. The room was empty.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru called to him as he darted into the room behind him, "it is alright, Takara is with her, she is…" His voice failed him as he watched the Half-demon approach the bassinet, staring into its empty depths as if it would offer him both reassurance and answers.  
"You said you loved Tsukihime…" The Half-demon murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "But…that you loved me more, is that right?"  
To these words Sesshomaru frowned.  
"Indeed but-"  
"Well he loves Nannami more than anything in the world," Inuyasha stated blankly, hands clenching into fists. "He'll do anything to save her."

One of those dreaded pauses returned, and what was worse, they did not have time for one. Inuyasha growled under his breath, his every muscle tensed so much it began to throb in potential pain.  
"No," Sesshomaru growled monotonously. "Takara he is…he is more loyal to me than… He would not betray me," The Demon stated firmly. Inuyasha began to grow impatient.  
"Then where is my pup, Sesshomaru?"

Just then, his ear flickered as it caught a sound. His brows descended in a frown and he turned to the window nearest the bassinet, leaning out to gaze down upon the entrance courtyard far below. His knuckles tightened, fingers paling with the lack of blood-flow where they rested on the sill. The Demon Lord moved closer in curiosity, his extra height permitting him to look over his brother with little difficulty. Both sets of golden eyes widened. "No!" Inuyasha screamed.

Far below, a hooded figure stood at the far side of the courtyard as another approached slowly, a small pale bundle in his arms – Tsukihime's blanket.

Beneath the cloak that was drawn up around his face, Hikireimaru's mouth twisted into a cruel smirk. He could sense this servant Takara's heart race in his treacherous chest. He had not imagined it would be this person of them all to bring the pup to him, but, nonetheless…

"That poison the elemental is infected with is said to be the most painful known to demon kind, I would hasten your steps if I were you, unless you wish to prolong her agony." The Demon watched Takara grit his fangs in the strenuous effort of holding his tongue. Hikireimaru fingered the vial with the antidote within teasingly, so that the glass glistened, catching Takara's eye.

Stopping a few paces from Hikireimaru, Takara's grip on the bundle tightened slightly. "Though I have no choice in the matter, I would hope that you honour your love for this child and care for her decently, that is, before my Lords hunt you down and take her back."  
"Such confidence in the lord you betray so easily," Hikireimaru taunted, inclining his head slightly so that the unnaturally beautiful obsidian locks peeked from beneath the shroud, reflecting in the dazzling sunlight.  
"I do not betray Lord Sesshomaru easily; I love him as he loves this child-"  
"Nevertheless," Hikireimaru cut across him, "By the time they realise your betrayal Touya and I shall be long gone, and you will not have to worry about either of us crossing your paths again."  
There was a silence. Takara swallowed hard, as if he could hear his Nanna's life trickling away with each pass of the summer breeze.  
"Let us get this matter over and done with, I have no wish to draw it out and neither do you," the Elemental growled out, an uncharacteristic tenseness to his voice.

Slowly, long fingers reached up and tucked back the hood, exposing an agonising scar across his otherwise flawless face. Nannami's flames had licked at his flesh, burning him; it was a startling, slender mar against his perfect face. Hikireimaru's smirk widened sinfully. "Agreed."

"NO!"

Unseen and unheard by the two demons Inuyasha screamed, leaping onto the ledge regardless of his still recovering body and leaping to the ground below. His limbs gave a sickening crack but they did not break, and he scrambled to his feet regardless. Unaware of the pain and running on pure adrenaline, the Half-demon darted forwards. He saw Takara's arms shift. He saw them move. _Oh god,_ he thought, _he's giving her over!_ "Stop it no!" His legs began to shake beneath him from the harsh collision of the ground. _If he gets her…if she goes with him…_

Suddenly his legs gave out beneath him and he stumbled. Crying out, he crashed to the ground face first. Arms pushed up quickly, but his legs were like jelly. He'd hurt them more than he thought. He couldn't move. Looking forward Takara was nearing Hikireimaru. _If he get's her…_ "Tsukihime!" he reached out uselessly. A flash of white passed him, as if everything were moving in slow-motion, happening so slowly but so fast at the same time, he saw Sesshomaru speeding towards the two demons.

"Takara stop!" He heard Sesshomaru call out, but Takara showed no signs of seeing him. And then, suddenly, something caught his eye and he turned. Something slid out of the shadows into view but still under the shelter of the tree. "Kazuki?" Inuyasha murmured. Golden orbs glistened with a treacherous wetness as they widened. The Demon child was standing in the shadows in only his hakama, stripped of his kosode, which was wrapped around the tiny silver-haired infant in his arms. Kazuki held a finger to his lips and Inuyasha's hanging jaw snapped shut as he realised what was going on.

"TAKARA NO!" Sesshomaru's screamed at the top of his lungs then, his body elongating as he tore across the courtyard, transforming, ready to destroy anything threatening his family, even if that was Takara.

Takara cast a casual glance over his shoulder at his lord before looking to Hikireimaru, this time, he was smirking. Upon catching sight of this, the wicked smile playing on Hikireimaru's lips faltered. "I love Nanna, she is my life, my soul, I would burn for her," Takara stated boldly, seizing the yellow blanket and flinging the bodiless thing to Hikireimaru, whose face contorted with anger. "But I have someone else to protect as well…" He shot forwards, bouncing onto his hands and spinning to kick the legs out from under Hikireimaru. The Demon fell back and Takara leapt up, catching the antidote deftly in his hand before securing it safely away inside his kimono.

Hikireimaru snarled. Taking one sniff of the air, his head twisted to the direction he could smell the pup. "I will have her…you will not STOP ME!" Pelting forwards, Hikireimaru cried out in shock as something collided with his side and sent him skidding across the ground.

"You made one mistake," Takara growled out as he straightened up from crashing into the other demon, his voice uncharacteristically foreboding, dripping malice. "Nannami would die for Sesshomaru, and gladly took the blow you intended for him, but scarred you as she may have, Nannami is the beta elemental, I am the alpha, the fiercer flame." Azure eyes glistened with an eerie fire as his right hand rose, spitting flames roaring to life at his fingertips. The blood-red glow of the fire reflected in those eyes as they looked upon the creature at his feet. "I will kill you for what you have done."

The flames soared, engulfing the creature's suddenly agonised body. Hikireimaru screamed, his fangs grating together in a sickening, animalistic grin, even through the agony. "Kill me? This pain…" the Demon heaved, voice tearing at his throat. "This pain…is NOTHING!"

At those words, Takara's hands flicked up swiftly, the fire within his palms rising with his fury. Suddenly, Takara snapped his hands shut, and the flames around Hikireimaru began to twist, closing in around him, crushing his limbs as if it were solid, blazing as if it were a flexible, searing branding-iron. "Would Touya want you now you're scarred – would he want you after everything you've done – WOULD HE WANT YOU NOW YOU'RE A MONSTER?"

Sesshomaru relaxed, his body falling from its semi-transformed state as he hurried over to where Inuyasha lay. "Are you alright?" he asked quickly, steadying his mate on his feet. Inuyasha nodded.  
"Yeah, my legs are just shocked a bit, I'll be alright – Tsukihime is-"  
"She's fine," Sesshomaru cut across him swiftly, looking over to where his servant was battling their enemy. "Can you fight?" He asked his brother, without even looking at him. A frown descended over the Half-demon's face.  
"What do you think I am? Some mortal wench? Of course I can-"  
"-Hikireimaru dies today, I will need your help-"  
"Help my ass!" Inuyasha interrupted, "I'm slaying this bastard for what he's done to me, not-"  
"WATCH OUT!" Sesshomaru shouted, shoving his brother away from him, just as Hikireimaru crashed into him.  
"My fight is with you – _Lord_ Sesshomaru!" Hikireimaru exclaimed maddeningly, blood dripping from his mangled form. A quick glance to the side showed Takara kneeling on the ground, clutching his right forearm with his left hand, a bloody wince cutting across his normally placid features. "You have proven to me nothing, but that I cannot take Touya without first disposing of you. So…let us get this over with swiftly – shall we?" The Dark Demon asked as sanely as he could muster, whilst considering the Demon Lord's frame carefully. "Which body part shall I remove first? I will let you choose."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Inuyasha leapt at him. Hikireimaru caught the Half-demon's right arm easily in his grasp, twisting it roughly so that the bone groaned under the pressure, threatening to break. "ARGH!" Inuyasha screamed, face contorting with agony.  
"Arm it is," Hikireimaru laughed, but as he turned his attention back to Inuyasha, the Half-demon jerked his arm roughly from the lax grip, and smacked the Demon across the jaw. Hikireimaru stumbled back, and Inuyasha watched him breathlessly, noting the copious amounts of blood falling from the Demon's body.

"You're losing your touch old man," the Half-demon spat, a sneer on his face. "You may not react to the pain the same as _normal_ creatures but it still takes it's toll on you, doesn't it?" Upon hearing these words, Sesshomaru's eyes widened. There was a chance. Hikireimaru didn't feel the pain, just as a demon Inuyasha didn't, but in extreme cases…that was a weakness. Not to know your body's own limits…

"You do not know your own limits, _Hikireimaru_," Sesshomaru stated complacently. "You are strong but your body is nothing more than an old man's withering swiftly under all the extremities you push it through." To this, Hikireimaru sneered.  
"There are no limits when it comes to the one you love."  
"My daughter will never be with you-"  
"-Your daughter has no choice," Hikireimaru stated smoothly, eyes scanning the courtyard. Inuyasha's eyes widened. In this position, the Demon could see Kazuki and Tsukihime! "A good hiding place," The Dark creature purred with a grin, "while it lasted.

Hikireimaru hurtled through the air. Sesshomaru tore after him claws spitting poison, slicing into fleeing flesh and tackling him to the ground. Hikireimaru roared with fury, seizing the Demon Lord's hands and twisting them harshly. Seizing a fistful of the Demon's hair, Hikireimaru snarled as he threw Sesshomaru's face down, cracking him across the face with his elbow, before sending the limb sharply into his gut. The Demon Lord was sent flying backwards into Inuyasha, the both of them skidding across the ground, landing in a dusty heap across the courtyard.

"Withering – I am withering but I am still stronger than you, a few mere blows and the sons of The Great Inu-no-Taishou are but battered whelps at my feet. He turned his attention to Kazuki again, flying towards him, but this time, there was no one in his path.

Rin screamed as she came to the top of the steps, seeing the Demon lay his hands around Kazuki's throat.  
"RIN!"  
The girl looked over to where the brothers lay, and to Inuyasha who was struggling out from under his sibling's heavy frame.  
"Rin!" he called again, "Get Tetsusaiga – quickly!" She nodded in response, casting an unsure look back to Kazuki before speeding back through the archway once more.

Kazuki screamed as Hikireimaru's claws tore through the flesh of the arms that encircled Tsukihime. But he did not let go. "STOP IT!" He howled his throat red-raw. It burned so bad. Hikireimaru grinned.  
"We do not feel pain as these creature's do…perhaps I should take you as my pet, hn?" he asked mockingly. Kazuki whimpered in agony, the child within his grasp cried out.  
"Please, please stop it, it hurts - PLEASE!"  
"Foolish boy," Hikireimaru all-but laughed, "Such pleasure you can derive from this pain, it is practically wasted on you. Hand me the child and the pain will stop."

Tears fell from Kazuki's eyes, but he shook his head. Painful recollections of things his 'Master' had done to him in his younger days reminded him he'd suffered worse and for less important things than the helpless, terrified creature in his embrace.

"Sesshomaru get off me!" Inuyasha growled out, trying to shift his brother off him, "Kazuki and Tsukihime need us, get up!" To this, Sesshomaru winced, tortured arms placing on the ground carefully, shaking with the effort of pushing himself up. "Listen here!" Inuyasha spat, seizing his brother's blood and dirt covered face between his hands. "You're better than this, you're stronger than this. Some wussy perve like Hikireimaru doesn't even come close to you – now get up."

"Does it burn, Little one?" Hikireimaru purred sweetly, watching Kazuki's body contort in agony as he raked his claws through his flesh. "Beg for mercy and I may let you live after I take the pup from you by force…" Kazuki's eyes widened. How many times he had heard those words? _"Beg for mercy,"_ it made his blood boil, and angry, bitter tears streamed down his face, mingling with the pained ones.  
"STOP IT!" He cried out, Tsukihime matching his screams as Hikireimaru began to jerk the arm supporting her away. The creature was reaching for her…

"Get off him!"

Suddenly the owner of that voice tore forwards, slamming into the backs of Hikireimaru's legs and knocking him away from Kazuki. The Dark demon staggered, looking down upon the human child who had had the nerve to attack him. "Impudent little _worm_!" His fist descended, Rin flinched, waiting for the blow, but then…

"Wind Scar!"

The wind howled, the world was filled with a blinding light; something collided with Rin, pressing her flat against the wall of the castle, out of harms way.

Inuyasha smirked at the familiar feel of Tetsusaiga in his grasp. The turbulence of the blast twisted his hair around his face in that old way, except this time, Sesshomaru was the one behind him, unwillingly requiring his protection.  
"Enough, Rin and the others…" Sesshomaru growled out as best he could, his voice broken from pain. Inuyasha nodded, lowering his arms. His chest heaved from lack of breath; his arms tingled, humming in a numb aftermath of the attack.

Suddenly, the world was all very still. Coughing sounded from the sidelines where Kazuki, Takara and Rin rose steadily, still standing after the blast. But as the dust cleared…so was Hikireimaru.

"No!" Inuyasha cried out. Tossing Tetsusaiga to the side near Sesshomaru, the Half-demon lunged forwards. Adrenaline throbbed in his ears. Fangs bared he tensed every muscle in his body, and eyes bled red, cheeks stained with demonic marks, elongated fangs tore through his enemy's flesh, and Inuyasha lost control – _voluntarily_.

"Such festering filth as you should be wiped from this world completely," Demon Inuyasha's voice growled huskily. "My mate, my daughter, you won't hurt either of them, I'll rip that stinkin' skin from your bones." At Inuyasha's gruff words, Hikireimaru smirked, blood leaking from his mouth.  
"Such strong words for a creature that pissed himself in front of me…"

WHACK! Inuyasha's fist collided with the Demon's face, drawing a sickening laugh from him. His back slammed into the tree, his neck snapping back from the sharp movement, but still he did not cry out. Inuyasha matched his demonic smirk this time. Crimson eyes stared back with more malice than even Hikireimaru could muster. "I'll show you a thing or two about pain you sick bastard," Inuyasha sneered, smacking the creature across the jaw, it cracked revoltingly. Nearby, Takara moved off Rin where he had pinned her out of harms way, moving her and Kazuki out of the way slowly, attempting to get them to safety unnoticed by Hikireimaru.

SLAM! Hikireimaru shoved Inuyasha backwards, and the _Half-demon_ stumbled before leaping forward gracelessly once more like a cornered animal.  
"Do you think you can kill me – you and your brother – you are worms compared to me!" Hikireimaru screamed, knocking a snarling Inuyasha to the floor and holding him there with a sick smile at his lips. The Beast dragged his claws slowly down the writhing _Half-demon's_ face, the shallow wounds oozing blood. The Demon delighted at the colour, and pressed harder. "Skin for skin, Little One. Your nursemaid burned off my flesh, I will cut away yours."  
To this, Inuyasha laughed.  
"Skin, bone, take what you want, I'll still kill you…"  
"Hnn, we shall see…"

As if they were unpicking a delicate tapestry, razor claws ran leisurely down the Half-demon's face. "Such pretty skin, such a shame I must spoil it-"  
"-Get off him." A shadow cast over the two, and a still smirking Hikireimaru looked up just in time to catch the Demon Lord's fist with his face. Straightening up as if he had not been struck at all by a staggering, barely standing Sesshomaru, Hikireimaru brushed himself off, meeting Sesshomaru's eyes apathetically. "You cannot kill me with your current strength, _My Lord_, what do you propose I do now?"  
"Turn around," Sesshomaru said simply. Hikireimaru frowned.  
"Still have a trick or two, _Sire_?"  
"See for yourself."

Evidently tiring of these games, slowly though confidently, Hikireimaru turned. Gazing up the steps at the front of the castle he saw, framed in the archway every guest – every neighbouring demonic dignitary staring down at him. Sighing heavily, Hikireimaru turned to face Sesshomaru, who was worse for wear and now secretly using his suddenly still mate for support.

"I will return, Sesshomaru."  
"I grow tired of these games you fool," the Demon Lord growled, "you are just as wounded as I, if not worse; do not attempt to hide it. And an elemental's flame burns for years after it strikes."  
"That it does," the Dark demon purred, his voice beginning to betray his exhaustion. "But you could attempt to slaughter me right now, though it would cost you your life, you may succeed," he jested. To Hikireimaru's words, Sesshomaru sneered.  
"I could kill you now, but it would take me with you. A few years…in the length of time if takes you to recover from your wounds…I will be strong enough to slay you without spending my life on your worthless demise."

Hikireimaru looked up at the sky where the sun was gliding behind a patch of clouds, and he laughed. "Touya's new body will age at a human's rate while she is young, and then slower as she gets older. When she is old enough to fill the role I have set for her, I will return, and when that time comes, I won't leave anyone left standing." Suddenly, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, its rays shining with such brilliance at that first move, that it blinded those below. Sesshomaru winced; staring about him wildly as the brightness dulled once more, but Hikireimaru was already gone.

A heavy sigh passed his lips, and his body screamed from the struggle it was to remain upright. "Inuyasha," Sesshomaru breathed, the currently full-demon standing unusually still at his side. "What is the matter?" At that moment, the younger sibling turned, leaning against his brother, so that the Older could wrap his arms around him in an awkward embrace.  
"I saved you," Inuyasha murmured huskily, "did you see?"  
"I saw," Sesshomaru answered, frowning as the _'demon'_ leant up to flick that tongue over his adam's apple, rousing a quiet growl from him.  
"So what do I get for my reward?" Demon Inuyasha asked, arms snaking around his brother's waist.  
"Inuyasha, we are being watched," Sesshomaru stated, feeling all those eyes on him at that point, "and Tsukihime is…" As if on cue, the infant started crying once more from Kazuki's arms, and the red faded from the Half-demon's eyes.

Kazuki limped down the steps carefully, moving to the brothers' side and slipping the fretting pup into Inuyasha's arms. "Hey pup," Inuyasha murmured, snuggling his daughter as tenderly as his pride permitted under so many watchful gazes. Slowly she silenced, but as Inuyasha went to turn back to Sesshomaru, he stopped, as if recalling something. "Hey, Kazuki?" the Half-demon asked. The boy inclined his head to the side, looking up at his Lord and makeshift father with an adorable bewilderment in his eyes. "I err…" Inuyasha stuttered, "You did a good job protecting Tsukihime. I umm…I'm proud of ya kid." Inuyasha could have sworn if Kazuki had his puppy ears they would have pricked at that. _And if he had a tail it'd wag_, he thought, smiling despite himself. "I guess, you're gonna be a good older brother." To this, Kazuki smiled widely, but the expression faded quickly.

"I-Inuyasha?" he stuttered, his voice pained. "Do you think maybe…maybe you and Lord Sesshomaru could…train me to fight like you." At this Inuyasha blinked back surprise. Of all the things the boy could ask for, he had not imagined he would ask for this. _Stupid of me I s'pose, of course he wouldn't wanna be protected and humiliated all his life, especially after what's happened…he's a demon after-all. I guess sometimes I forget…_

As the sun dipped below the horizon, an exhausted Inuyasha watched as his pup lay on the bed with a barley conscious Nannami. The Demoness smiled at those gathered in the room. "I am alright now. After taking the antidote my health began to improve swiftly. I should be back to normal by tomorrow evening."  
Sesshomaru permitted the barest of smiles to grace his lips.  
"I am glad." As he spoke he looked over to the other side of the bed, where Takara sat watching him carefully. Noticing his Lord's attention had shifted towards him, Takara bowed his head slightly.  
"I am sorry I did not check this plan through with you first, Sire, however there was no time and…I believed it would be safer, just this once, to act before we thought."  
There was an uneasy silence. The Demon Lord stared at him blankly, as if unsure whether he wanted to forgive or reprove him.  
"Everyone is alive and, though you were reckless, you did not betray me, I should have known better than to suspect such, even for a moment," Sesshomaru said at last. Everyone in the room seemed to unleash a bated breath they didn't realise they were holding. Takara nodded slowly, a smile returning to his soft features.  
"I would not boast as to claim that I love you as your father, My Lord, but…I have all-but raised you, and that kind of trust is not easily shattered by some petty sadistic demon out for such selfish means…"

"Ouch!" Kazuki's voice broke the tension; Inuyasha turned to him, where he was sitting at the foot of the bed, Rin bandaging his wounds for him.  
"Don't be such a baby, Lord Sesshomaru is worse off and he isn't complaining," the Human girl admonished, and Kazuki blushed, turning his beet-red face away slightly. "Now sit still, stop fidgeting."

Inuyasha beamed inwardly at the scene, his'_children_', they were displaying the kind of behaviour he and Kagome had been capable of in the beginning, albeit a little less crazy. "Well," the Half-demon announced, reaching down and pulling his pup close to his chest. "We've got a hall full of testy demon lords downstairs and the quicker we march down there and bless this kid the quicker they can all screw off." To these words Sesshomaru smiled, moving towards the door.  
"Takara, tidy Rin and Kazuki up and escort them downstairs. We shall meet you down there."

Out in the hall moments later, Inuyasha rested his girl's head on his shoulder, rubbing her back in slow circles through the blanket he'd salvaged. The pup yawned widely, nuzzling her papa's shoulder slowly. The Half-demon smiled warmly. "Guess you're tired aren't you, 'Hime?" He cuddled her a little tighter. "I almost lost you today..." He murmured, closing his eyes against the halls momentarily. "And as much as I didn't want you to start off with, as much as I wanted to get rid of you…I don't know what I would have done if that ass had taken you today…"

Sesshomaru sighed, straightening up from where he stood observing the pair from the doorway. He closed it loudly behind him, alerting Inuyasha of his presence. "You need not concern yourself with such things, Inuyasha." Approaching his mate, he wrapped his arms around him carefully. "I nearly lost everything today; I will not make that mistake again."  
"Keh, what the mistake of letting my demon come onto you in front of all your neighbours?" To this, Sesshomaru blinked silently for a moment, before smirking.  
"Hnn, not at all, if you hadn't been so injured I would have let you continue without any words to the contrary." He leant forwards, licking his mate's ear. Inuyasha purred his pleasure out loud. "Perhaps later this evening I should continue where you left off?"  
"Keh," Inuyasha snorted, beginning to move along the hall once more, towards the stairs. "You should be so lucky."

They descended the stairs in silence, but a dull murmur of voices could be heard from within the hall. Inuyasha frowned. He didn't particularly wish to deal with this right now, and even less wished to have his already probably traumatised pup paraded around a hall stuffed with demon lords and ladies. But as he said, the quicker they got this done with, the quicker the strangers would get out of their home. _And the quicker they get lost, the quicker I can stop worrying about them doing something to Tsukihime or one of the others_, he thought.

"I hate everyone in that hall," Inuyasha stated. Sesshomaru smirked, using the banister for support more than he would like.  
"Ayane and her sister are there, you care for them, do you not?" the Demon asked, to which Inuyasha snorted.  
"I hate almost everyone in that hall."  
"Indeed, and I, as your dutiful mate, took the liberty of sending invitation to your prior companions back in that dry well village."  
Inuyasha stopped.  
"You did what?" he asked, eyes wide, heart thudding with excitement. See Sango, Miroku and the other's again?  
"I invited them here, however, they regretfully were unable to come due to this particular time of year but, they asked that I would extend the invitation a few more months, and they will come at a later date. Does that suit?" Sesshomaru frowned when Inuyasha said nothing, merely stared at him. "Inuyasha?"  
"Yes I…I mean… You did that for me?" he asked, blushing a little. Sesshomaru nodded awkwardly. "But you hate humans," Inuyasha persisted.  
"Indeed, however, they are your humans, and must be tolerated if I hope for you to recover from this ordeal with Hikireimaru."

They continued down the stairs and to the door of the hall, though Inuyasha could sense something further on Sesshomaru's mind, as if he had left that sentence unfinished, and stopped short of the door, turning to his brother once again. "About Hikireimaru," he began solemnly, "I-"  
"-I realise this swift recovery from the battle is a façade, we have to get this over with however…I…I can sense repercussions on their way, and of course, I do not mean solely physical ones."  
"Whatever," Inuyasha answered, not comfortable with talking of such things right now. "Listen, I'm fine really. Years of living alone has made me resilient. I'm just peachy. Now let's get this over with." As he reached towards the door with the arm that wasn't holding Tsukihime, Sesshomaru caught it, gently forcing his sibling to look at him once more.  
"I hope, Inuyasha, that when the time comes…when it becomes too much for you – you will come to me…that you will talk to me."

Inuyasha sighed, shrugging his brother off gently and stepping through the doors.

Inuyasha cradled his pup in one arm, a claw on the other hand stroking her cheek thoughtfully as he fed her leaning back exhaustedly against the window pain. Sesshomaru smirked as he watched the two sitting on the window seat, crisp moonlight streaming in through the open shutters to bathe his family in the opalescent light. Reaching forward, he brushed his brother's hair from his face. Leaning into the movement, Inuyasha turned to his sibling, startled by the compassion in the golden pools that were trained on him, as if he were the only thing in the world worth looking at.

"Umm…" Inuyasha murmured uncomfortably, a blush dusting his cheeks. "The ceremony went by quite quick. It's good to get all those weird demons outta the castle – can't really relax when…" Cut off by soft, luscious lips against his own, Inuyasha felt his heart thump wildly in his chest. Sesshomaru was weird tonight. Was it because of Hikireimaru?

Panic sped through his veins like fire devouring a forest. He felt trapped. He felt scared. He needed to stop this. Sesshomaru drew back, his fingers playing carefully along his brother's mark, making the boy shiver involuntarily from the pleasure tingling over his skin. "Is something wrong?" the Demon Lord asked. Inuyasha shook his head. Distracting himself from the moment, he looked down at Tsukihime, who was dozing off, and made himself busy with setting the infant down in her crib and tucking her in. All the while he knew his brother's eyes were at his back, and all the while he prolonged the moment when he would have to return the gaze and explain himself.

_What's wrong with me?_ Inuyasha thought confusedly, _I haven't minded when Sesshomaru touched me before, not since things changed anyway…why all of the sudden do I…feel so weird when he tries to touch me like that – I used to like it so…what changed?_

His head screamed with questions, none of which he could answer. _Why all of a sudden…do I feel so…so trapped when Sesshomaru closes in on me like that?_ He stared down at his now slumbering pup, as if her sleeping beauty held the answers. _What…What's wrong with me?_

~To Be Continued…

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A/N: whoops. cliffie 0_0 I'm sorry! But everyone is alive! lol. Sorry for the crappy quality. I hate this chapter so much but I just wanted to give you something. I am typing this at 3am on Christmas morning just because I want you to have a chappie for the holidays that badly 0_0 Happy Holidays and I'll update a.s.a.p kk? :) thanks so much, Merry Christmas!

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	32. Constant Echoes

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! **This is important, please read **as you know, there are people that have been stealing not only this story but others' as well. Basically copying the text of the chapters and uploading them under their accounts under different names. I must ask you, if you come across one of these stories to please report it to the site admins and help us take our stories back! Thanks so much and thanks so much to everyone who has given their support thus far!

On a lighter note, Enjoy and review please ^_^

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Two  
**_**Constant Echoes**_

_It was something about the way they were looking at us. It wasn't what they were staring at, not at all. It was rare enough that a pure, unconquerable creature such as Sesshomaru would stoop as low as to fall for a half-demon as it was, but for that same male half-demon to produce offspring…well that was cause for the unbreakable stares alone. Though additionally, I knew my daughter, (even in an unbiased opinion) was insanely beautiful for such a tiny girl. I sighed heavily as I bounced her in my arms, her currently short-sighted eyes staring into my exhausted face, never tearing her gaze from mine. I could tell Sesshomaru and I would have trouble with her and the countless suitors in the future, which made it all the more important for us to rid ourselves of the_ current _and most_ dangerous _suitor…_

_I growled quietly despite myself, shaking my head to rid it of the revolting thoughts and images of Hikireimaru. I stared up overhead at the ornate drapes and hangings suspending on the walls and ceiling, crisp white with gold embroidery. I knew it was beautiful, and I was definitely not one to admire such trivial things, beauty only came down to the one admiring it, and I had no time for something so…inconstant, so changeable. Men killed each other for beautiful women, beautiful land, they slaughtered villages for the dazzling sheen of gold and stunning riches. Beauty brought a kind of trouble down on those who it surrounded, the kind of trouble my_ 'Hime _would undoubtedly bring to me and her insanely overprotective father. I smiled again, despite myself, at the thought of my older brother's face when the first brave creature would stumble into our lives to ask for the hand of an adolescent Tsukihime._

_"You're gonna be a little heartbreaker, ain't ya?" I asked her quietly so that only those immediately around me would be able to grasp my words. Her delicate, rose-petal lips seem to twitch upwards, as if trying to smile but the action remained beyond her control momentarily. I was sure I saw a brief smile flitter across Sesshomaru's features also.  
"Not that I don't adore her but I can't see why people have kids, they cause so much damn trouble," I murmured to Sesshomaru who stood beside me as we reached the altar in the centre of the circle of dignitaries surrounding us. "Bet things would have ended differently for our father and my mother if I hadn't-"  
"-Sometimes it happens," Sesshomaru cut across me, an unreadable emotion in his eyes, "because two creatures…demon or human, or something in between" – he flicked his eyes to me – "they're drawn to each other unexplainably, inescapably."_

_I must have looked startled by his sudden insight into emotions, I saw him smile at the shock I_ felt _on my face. "You mean…" I began shakily, not really sure (for the sake of my pride) that I should leap to such a conclusion, but it was out of my mouth before I could stop myself. "You mean like – love, right?" Again I watched him smile. That confounded flush reached my cheeks again.  
"Something such as that…it cannot occur between two people, cannot draw them to each other despite the odds, without creating something beautiful."_

_I scoffed at the word beautiful, but I could not tear my gaze from his. It was mesmerizing. This new look within them seized me like great talons, causing goosebumps to rise across my flesh. At my reaction, his smile broadened a little, and I shivered.  
"All life is beautiful Inuyasha, when it comes from something such as that."_

_I recognised the scent approaching – one of the priests that had performed the binding ritual between myself and Sesshomaru. It did not disturb me as much as I'd thought when I realised it was in fact the same one that had given me the concoction that would have eradicated my bond with Sesshomaru, and killed the (then) unborn Tsukihime inside me. I frowned at that, it was still odd to think things like that about myself. The last few months had not been enough time to get used to my 'gifts' as Sesshomaru proceeded to call them even now – now that they had probably caused him more trouble than I was worth._

_Sesshomaru was talking in whispers to the priest as he stopped at the altar. The plinth between us and the priest rose to just above my waist, and I guessed without much effort that Tsukihime needed to be there. I longed for my bed somewhere far above in the castle. And longed even more so to escape all these people, I needed to be alone, I needed to process everything that had happened today, with Sesshomaru, Takara…with Hikireimaru. But as I opened my mouth to hurry this event along I sensed his gaze on me, and looked up to meet the fiery golden gaze. After a thoughtful moment I frowned slightly._

_"You've changed a lot," I said turning away awkwardly from his eyes. "I was apparently suddenly into guys, I was depressed and then not and then depressed again, I got pregnant, I got…" I paused, I couldn't bring myself to say 'raped' even though he was the only one that could hear me. "But you – you're the one that's changed the most." He was watching me again, and the atmosphere between us could have been cut through with a blade, I could feel it radiating off my skin, feel it prickling through our marks. So I cleared my throat, trying to alleviate the pressure between us suddenly. "Anyone would think you're the one that squeezed a kid out your ass." It worked, he smiled, and I reciprocated the motion, before the priest took his turn to clear his throat._

_"Due to the occurrences outside the castle," the priest began, "I will glaze over the obvious introductions and dressings of the ceremony. It is highly unorthodox, however the infant and Lord Inuyasha require their rest, and it would be in the best interest that those gathered here to leave the castle grounds before nightfall."_

_I exhaled heavily in relief, the priest could not have said anything better than that, though now I realised this was what he and Sesshomaru must have been whispering about._

_"Those gathered are here to promise their protection, to promise honour to this child, that they will never endeavour to cause her harm or misery." His voice was authoritative, but mine was lost. These countless demons, promise honour to_ my daughter – _she was full-demon, she deserved their respect but…did being born from_ my _body not spoil her any?_

_There was a loud murmur of agreement, and I noticed out of the corner of my eye, each demon holding their right hand, palm down to the candle they each held. Their flesh was not scorched, it would cause no damage to a demon's flesh but, I saw the tiniest amount of blood feed each flame so that it flickered menacingly to an indescribable red._ Blood again, _I thought, rolling my eyes lightly. It was only then that I noticed the pure-gold flame of the suddenly lit candle in the priest's hand._

_My eyes widened, and Tsukihime's eyes were trained on it carefully, mesmerised as I was earlier by her father's gaze. Her tiny hand reached out to it, I snatched it back swiftly. "No," I insisted, the priest looking to me._ Blood, _I remembered again, and my lips curled up into a quiet growl. He wasn't taking so much as a drop of my pup's blood – protection or no protection._

_Sesshomaru must have sensed my unease through our mark, I felt his arm move to his hip, where he stroked slowly, and my neck tingled as if he had touched me directly. Carefully I looked to him. Sesshomaru loved me, (I blushed at the thought, as if I were only just realising the truth in it), and he adored Tsukihime but, if he thought a small hurt would save her from a greater one he would try and make me._ Let him try, _I snarled mentally, the backs of my claws tracing protectively over the baby soft skin of her delicate arm._

_"You have so little faith in me, my Mate," Sesshomaru said quietly, leaning forward, towards the pup in my arms. She smiled at him as he reached for her but I was about ready to rip his arm off – __**again**__ – if he tried anything funny. I watched his claws as they descended over our pup. I tensed and he noticed. A reassuring smile graced his face once more, and the claw on his index finger sliced through the tiniest lock of 'Hime's tendrils of silver curls._

_The anxiety slipped from my body like water gliding off of it, as I watched the gold flames eat through my child's curl of hair. Sesshomaru's hand remained on the pup's head, stroking the awed girl carefully. I eased even more when she continued to smile at him, as she had never managed to before, not within her control anyway._

_"My Lords and Ladies, please follow," The Priest said suddenly, "I hereby pledge that I will not bring harm down upon this infant, and will give aid to her protection whenever it is possible." There was an eerie, chant-like echo as the demons repeated him, and I shifted her carefully as the suddenly peaceful child fidgeted, and Sesshomaru looked surprised as I pushed her into his chest. I smiled a little. "She wants you at the moment," I said awkwardly, unwilling to betray how relieved I was that she was beginning to warm to him. It hurt to see his rejection, even when (for once) I wasn't the cause of it._

_At that moment I was snapped from my Sesshomaru-orientated daze, by the sudden dimness and I realised that all of the candles had been blown out. The end of the ceremony._ Thank god, _I thought, a heavy sigh leaving me, not for the first time as I looked to the vision of Sesshomaru holding our pup in his arms._

In the last few months, Tsukihime had grown into her own personality (that echoed her 'father's' far too much). She no longer pouted or cried, or screamed...this little princess had caught on quickly that she had two beautiful parents whom had passed on their good looks to her, and she knew just how to use them to get what she wanted. Those devilishly cute puppy ears were a large part of that.

She was getting the hang of things quickly (just as her full-demon blood promised); she could smile of her won accord. She could move her ears without them flicking out of control. She could see and smell, she could recognise not just Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, but Rin and Kazuki and Nannami, even Takara. She could sit up on her own but not much further than that. Despite this, the approaching months would bring other skills such as walking and speech to her as easily as if she had always known them.

_Kids are a miracle sometimes,_ Inuyasha thought, watching his currently naked pup suck her toes happily as he fumbled with the cloth that went around her bottom. He frowned in irritation, still not used to this kind of action yet. He still had to concentrate more than he felt he should have, after a few weeks he as sure he'd be able to do mediocre things such as this a little more easily.

"Sometimes you make the most simple of tasks look so difficult," the dull purr of Sesshomaru's voice murmured. Inuyasha growled in aggravation as he approached him, staring at what he was doing over his shoulder.  
"Keh, well I notice you haven't had a turn at doing this yet," Inuyasha mumbled, and Sesshomaru smirked.  
"You have but to ask-"  
"-Yeah right," The Half-demon cut across him indignantly, "You've got about as much patience as a bowl of sake." Inuyasha lifted his clothed daughter up into his arms again, turning to face his mate, still scowling.  
"Do not make such a face, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru murmured, his tone amused. When Inuyasha didn't answer, a similar frown seized his own features. "You do not have to be so reluctant to leave Tsukihime alone – it is quite safe to put her down for a single moment together."  
Again, Inuyasha didn't answer. A small sigh tore from the full-demon's lips, and he stretched his hand forward slowly to brush the backs of his claws comfortingly over his little brother's cheek. But Inuyasha recoiled from the touch.

"I would have hoped we would have deciphered this needlessly fearful reaction to my touch also – you have yet to tell me, I would know what is wrong, Inuyasha." His tone was impassive, but it was struggling to remain so. All Inuyasha could do was shrug awkwardly, turning to set his daughter down on the bed distractedly.

"When you carried Tsukihime, my touch seemed calming to you," Sesshomaru murmured, his tone almost inaudible. Inuyasha snorted at that.  
"You can put _that_ idea straight out of your head – one pup is good enough for you right now."  
Sesshomaru smirked, moving forwards, his arms sliding around his mate's (once again) slender waist.  
"You will desire more as soon as you stop feeding Tsukihime – your instincts will call for it. Additionally – you have yet to taste a heat whilst with a mate, a yearning that is far more trying than any desire you have endured before."  
"Keh," Inuyasha murmured, trying to shrug his brother off subtly. "You think I'll want you that badly? Dream on _My Lord_…" To this, Sesshomaru offered a fleeting smile, watching his daughter wriggle excitedly in the centre of the bed.

There was an awkward silence. The Half-demon stared without seeing into the sheets, every muscle in his body tensed as his brother's arms surrounded him. He wanted to growl, emit some noise to express his need to escape, but he clamped his mouth tightly shut. "Inuyasha," Sesshomaru breathed, but he received no answer. "Inuyasha calm yourself, I will not hurt you-"  
"You hit me," Inuyasha cut him off, his voice quiet, as if he didn't really want the Demon Lord to hear him, "Before, when I was holding Tsukihime." He expected his brother to let him go in an act of remorse, but his hold only tightened, long fingers splaying over his chest in an oddly soothing motion.  
"I was sharing those confounded hormonal outburst with you at that time, however, I realise that is no excuse and the incident will not be repeated. Besides which I believe…the miniscule harm I caused then is not the issue here-"  
"-Don't you say it," Inuyasha snarled, the infant on the bed falling deathly still at the sudden change in atmosphere.  
"It concerns Hikireimaru, does it not?"

With that Inuyasha broke away from him, shoving his brother backwards roughly a few paces and spinning on his heel to face him. An uneasy fire flickered in his wounded eyes. "You say you love me but you piss me off _so_ much – that's how you communicate is it?"  
"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru began, struggling hard _not_ to roll his eyes. But as he approached him, the Half-demon backed up.  
"This is _not_ about Hikireimaru, okay? More disgusting things than him have touched me-"  
"Then why is your own mate forbidden from touching you?"

Everything was silent. Everything was still.

Anger burned through his veins, boiling his blood. Skin hummed like a furious swarm of bees under the weight of that moment. Inuyasha turned, scooping up his daughter, who sat bolt upright in the centre of the bed, watching them with confusion. Placing her in the safety of her crib he disappeared into their bathing chambers without so much as a backward glance at his mate.

Offering a quick glance to ensure Tsukihime was alright, the Demon Lord followed, struggling to keep his soaring temper from getting the better of him. But as he stepped through the door it slammed shut behind him, ricocheting off its frame fiercely. A growl tore through the air and as Sesshomaru turned to meet it he was sent flying backwards into the bath. Water leapt from the confines, flooding the stone floor. Gracelessly the Demon struggled to recover some semblance of dignity. He paused as he straightened up in the waist-deep water, meeting his brother's disturbingly crimson eyes.

The ethereal glow burned hungrily in Inuyasha's still half-demon face, no trace of the markings tainting his flushed cheeks, though fangs still gleamed menacingly from behind his curled lip. "_This_ is what this is about – _touching_ me?" The very _demon_ voice growled, his body paused in this 'mid-transformation'. Sesshomaru didn't answer. Inuyasha approached slowly, his husky tones sending all-too pleasant shivers through his mate's skin.

"Every time someone touches me, all I can think about is how filthy my skin feels – how that foul taste comes to my mouth when I _see_ that filth rubbing off on the people I love."

Another of those uncomfortable, shuddering silences fell. Sesshomaru's eyes widened as something dawned on him, as he stared into fiery crimson orbs.

Suddenly Inuyasha snarled again, claws shredding the pale kimono he wore as he stalked his sibling. "But no _this_ is what you want – covered in filth and you want to fuck me? You want this wretched body?"

Two arms shot out, seizing the Half-demon by his shoulders, dragging him down into the water. Waves leapt across the floor once more and smothered the bewildered half-demon who was suddenly gasping for breath. Through the spluttering a low growl slipped from Sesshomaru's lips, and suddenly, Inuyasha was still. Silver hair fanned out in the water, droplets danced over flustered flesh, resting over slightly parted lips. Eyes, molten gold once more studied the demon above unsurely, but his arms remained tucked in between their two chests, unmoving.

Sesshomaru stared down at him, watching the subtle movements of his mate's mouth, not realising that his own breath was escaping him in uneasy pants. He'd been denied his whole heat season, he hadn't touched Inuyasha at all really, but that wasn't what this was now…

"_…all I can think about is how filthy my skin feels_."

Inuyasha had been concerned that he was somehow soiled? Too dirty to force it upon him? "But you were fine before Hikireimaru turned up that last time," Sesshomaru stated, as if he wasn't necessarily searching for an answer. Inuyasha's mouth moved soundlessly for a few moments. Thick lashes fluttered uselessly as beads of water drizzled leisurely down his skin and his honey-hued chest rose and fell with laboured breathing.  
"With Tsukihime and everything I just didn't think about it as much until I saw him again like…like it was happening all over again." His tone was breathless from nervousness of the close proximity between them, but the grip of his brother's arms never loosened.

"Do not fear me, Inuyasha."  
"I'm not afraid."  
"You are shivering," Sesshomaru said, and Inuyasha looked down to where their chests were scarce inches apart, as if to clarify his brother's words for himself.

Brushing the backs of his claws over his sibling's cheek, the Demon Lord leant in slowly, watching his brother's eyes widen as he drew closer.  
"What're you doing?" Inuyasha asked anxiously.  
Sesshomaru's lips turned up at the sides in the briefest of smiles.  
"Putting a stop to this foolish fear of me," he answered breathlessly. With that his lips brushed over the nervous ones below, the arm not wrapped around the smaller frame coming round, weaving his fingers in the submerged silver tresses and supporting his mate's head above water.

Inuyasha struggled then. Ripples swam away from their close bodies as he fought to break free, though part of him was screaming him into silence.

Sesshomaru's hand supporting his head shifted round to cup his cheek at the same time, that clawed thumb slipping between their interlocked mouths to press gently, forcing his unwilling lips apart. Inuyasha's hands clenched into desperate fists between them, his eyes screwing shut, but the arm around his waist only pulled him closer. He was still struggling, but he was losing, his limbs betrayed him, they shuddered uselessly so that he would have sunk to the bottom and drowned in waist-deep water had his brother not been clinging to him so desperately.

That scheming, delectable tongue stole inside him, it caressed his dormant mouth slowly, the point teasing over his own tongue carefully, making him shudder for other reasons. Inuyasha's face contorted as if in pain to this. He didn't want to be made love to, he didn't want to be touched, or loved, not in this manner, not by Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru who had changed everything for him, even he did not deserve to be soiled by him. _No one_ deserved such filth to be ground into their soul.

Suddenly a piercing growl reverberated through Inuyasha's mind and his palm found his brother's cheek. He only then realised, with a familiar mist clouding his eyes that he was crying. He approached his brother, arms wrapping uselessly around his neck as he made the deathly slow ascent up to lock their lips.

_"So many insecurities…"_

He could practically hear the revolting dark-haired demon's purr.

"_So many doubts as to why Lord Sesshomaru, or anyone else for that matter, would desire this far from immaculate flesh_."

Inuyasha shut his eyes as tight as he could this time. The heat of that mouth trailed down to his chin, nipping him lightly before moving upwards. His entire body tensed in recollection as that tongue flicked teasingly against his ear. The ear slicked back into his hair to avoid being bitten the way he suddenly recalled so vividly.

In response to this sudden fear coursing through him (and most likely their mark) he felt Sesshomaru's claws rub gently at the base of his skull, massaging him reassuringly. His ears pricked up a little at the pleasant sensation, though his body remained tense. Thighs clenched without his permission as that hot mouth suddenly wrapped around his ear, and he whimpered a little, ashamed of the noise the moment it fled his lips.

"_It is senseless to fight, Inuyasha._"

That voice stormed through his head. He couldn't shut it out. Hikireimaru, what had he done to him? Could those brief moments really have stayed with him so long? Cut him so deep? When had his slowly built trust in his brother suddenly crumbled beneath him?

"_Such a mess though, it will never come clean…It will have to come off…_"

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open at that, and he diverting his gaze to the side as his brother's mouth descended over his newly exposed throat, latching on gently and sucking at his pulse. He gasped despite himself, for some reason relieved to see his silver hair spread out across the surface of the water – still there, not hacked off like in that foul, dark place of his nightmares…

"It is not Hikireimaru that is holding you right now, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru purred, dropping butterfly kisses of uncharacteristic gentleness down the exposed sternum. His hand splayed across the small of the Half-demon's back, supporting him in the water still even as his mouth descended over the (once-again) flat stomach, mouthing that flesh particularly for a reason unknown to Inuyasha. The Demon Lord drew back an inch, his eyes scanning the honey-tinted plains of the taut stomach muscles. He ran his fingertips feather-light over the occasional opalescent, barely visible marks across the precious skin – stretch-marks left over from carrying Tsukihime. He frowned slightly, wondering how he'd never noticed them before, but then he realised (sadly) that he had not been permitted this close to see, and any further away, they were not visible.

Suddenly Inuyasha's hands (now free) were pushing at his head harshly, and he growled quietly in response. Sesshomaru looked up at him, realising that the Half-demon had (yet again) jumped to the foolish conclusion that the eyes scanning him were judging his body rather than admiring it.  
"Stop," Inuyasha repeated, his tone wavering, as if he weren't sure whether to cry or yell.  
"You need to understand, Inuyasha – _My_ Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha gasped. Sesshomaru's face was level with his once more. The Demon's sodden clothes were forgotten as he leant forwards, an arm wrapping around his mate once more whilst the other trailed loosely over the Half-demon's pubic bone, making him shudder involuntarily in the warm water. "Hikireimaru could not hold you like this," the Demon all-but purred in his ear. Inuyasha winced, turning his face away, but a smile graced Sesshomaru's mouth at the action, his lips moving further to press against the nervously flickering ear as he spoke softly. "Close your eyes."  
Inuyasha seemed to ignore the words at first, until (reluctantly) the golden orbs fluttered shut, his breath knotting somewhere in his chest in apprehension. "You know it is only I that could touch you like this," Sesshomaru breathed.

Something was wrong. Sesshomaru didn't say things like that; he didn't whisper soft endearments in his ear when he needed them most. He didn't coddle him like this, like some pampered puppy. But with golden eyes closed, with that voice, hushed and soft in his ear like a brief, fluttering breeze in summer – relieving and soothing in the heat of the world – the shadows ebbed away from the confines of his mind. The touches…they were different. Less brazen – careful, barely there, like five long feathers brushing down over his slowly relaxing muscles.

The platitudes had ceased briefly, Sesshomaru had caught his lower lip with his fangs, as if unsure, or uneasy about what words were to next flow from his mouth. "No one else can love you like this."

That undid him.

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**SCENE CENSORED. To read full chapter with love scene please see the link on my page...**

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"My my," Sesshomaru breathed in his mate's ear. Breathless chests heaved, doused with beads of sweat. Inuyasha awkwardly leaned into the embrace offered to him; a blush dusting his cheeks as he determinedly avoided those eyes. "You were quite amorous tonight, Little Brother."  
"Keh," Inuyasha grumbled, resting his cheek on his mate's chest. Slowly, he tilted his head up to meet his brother's gaze, catching his lip between his teeth. He was determined to do it now. Consequences be damned! But as he opened his mouth, a soft cry came from the bedroom. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, groaning as he gathered himself gracelessly to his feet. "Your daughter is calling you, Lord Sesshomaru," he murmured almost teasingly, seizing a clean white yukata off the side and pulling it on as he walked back into the bedroom.

He could not help the grin that tugged at the corners of his lips as he saw the scene before him. Jaken had evidently come in to watch Tsukihime, but was finding himself being abused by the fiery little infant. But nothing could be more amusing that the little demon's eyes popping from his head as he saw a semi-dressed Inuyasha wandering into the room with a drenched, _very_ naked Sesshomaru close behind him.

Inuyasha stifled the laugh that threatened to escape, leaning down and scooping his now beaming daughter into his arms, not able to stop the final smack the little princess gave Jaken. "Takes after her father," Inuyasha grumbled, a smile flickering to Sesshomaru's lips. "Sensed there was immoral behaviour happening did ya, Jaken?" the Half-demon asked mockingly, hiding his grin at the Demon's shock by sitting on the edge of the bed, making a show of setting Tsukihime down in on the floor between his legs and trying to help her to stand.

There was a moment then, when everything stood still, Jaken's eyes seemed to be glued to the water-slicked form that still remained in the doorway. Sesshomaru raised a brow at him, irritated by his wandering eyes.  
"Oit," Inuyasha snapped, catching what was happening. "Eyes to yourself, stinkin' toad."  
Immediately the Green-demon leapt back into reality, darting from the room with his eyes closed, colliding with the door-frame twice on his way out. Sesshomaru smirked, barely refraining from rolling his eyes as he approached his mate and pup, pausing before them until Inuyasha's golden gaze turned up to his face.  
"Hm?" Inuyasha mumbled.  
"It bothers you when others look at me, Little Brother?"  
To this, Inuyasha raised a brow before turning his attention back to his daughter, who was still trying to steady herself slowly on her feet with his assistance.  
"Would it piss you off if Jaken stared at me?" Inuyasha asked matter-of-factly, that same gruffness to his voice. Sesshomaru said nothing in response but he knew what the answer was. "I don't have much but what I do have is _mine,_ and I don't care much for sharing."

"Hn," Sesshomaru purred, delighting in the blush that streaked across his sibling's cheeks. "Sounds as if you should have seen more of your older brother growing up, Inuyasha."  
Inuyasha looked up at him again, frowning; the words should have sounded guilty, as they usually did nowadays when Sesshomaru spoke of the past. But this time, they were laced with a deviously playful tone.  
"I assure you," Sesshomaru continued, "your brother would have _made_ you share…"  
Inuyasha shuddered deliciously, snatching his eyes away once more at that tone. He knew it wasn't toys or possessions Sesshomaru was referring to. _Pervert probably would have shared my scrawny little body back then if he'd known about my 'gifts'._

"Put some clothes on, jackass," Inuyasha answered, moving away from the topic, "we've got a _daughter_ you know, she don't need to see you hangin' there."  
Sesshomaru almost laughed and turned around to find something suitable to dress himself in, though in doing so, recalled suddenly something he had wanted to present to Inuyasha. _It would be imprudent to go wandering about the castle this exposed, particularly with that little toad's eyes peeping round every corner…_

"Inuyasha, would you accompany me across the hall?"  
Inuyasha frowned, pulling his daughter on to his lap.  
"The where now?"  
"You can bring Tsukihime, it is hardly a trek across to the mainland."  
"Keh," The Half-demon grumbled, getting to his feet reluctantly as Sesshomaru finished dressing. "She's my kid, if I want her with me all the time considering everything that's happened what's your beef with that?" Inuyasha asked, following his brother grudgingly from the room with Tsukihime resting on his arm, reaching out a little fist and catching some of his silver hair in her tight grasp.  
"And for how long a period will you want to be at her side constantly?" The Demon questioned, not looking at his family. "It's not healthy for her Inuyasha, and I am sure you're aware of that." To this, Inuyasha did not answer.

A small hand on his cheek kept him grounded as the silence pierced the air. He felt oddly stung by Inuyasha's constant rejection, even though the Half-demon wasn't choosing to. Tsukihime grabbed for him but the Demon momentarily ignored her seeking hands, opening the door and motioning for his sibling to step through.

Inuyasha knew this room, the smell, the colour, the way the light streamed in through the window.  
"This is my room," Inuyasha murmured as he stepped into the centre of the room, hearing Sesshomaru close the door as he followed.  
"It was," The Demon Lord purred, pausing his steps to gauge his half-brother's reaction. Inuyasha's golden eyes scanned the room, the room Lord Inu-no-Taishou had had prepared for him before his birth, unaware of the fate that would befall both himself and his human lover before Inuyasha stepped foot here.

The room was much the same as it had been when Sesshomaru had first shown it to him, with a few more feminine and childlike exceptions. "You has this refurbished for Tsukihime?" The Half-demon asked, dropping unceremoniously onto the edge of the bed, the infant in his arms now struggling to reach the floor to try her walking skills once more. Those in the room went silent for a long time. Inuyasha watched his daughter stumble, and steadied her as she manoeuvred from between his legs to grab the sheets, tripping over her last few steps as her unsteady, pudgy legs gave way to inexperience. Inuyasha pushed her bottom up, giving her a boost up onto the bed. Watching the scene, Sesshomaru could not help but smile.

"She likes it I guess," The Half-demon sighed, not meeting his sibling's eyes.  
"And those words are your blessing that she may move into this room?"  
Inuyasha snorted in response, but Sesshomaru smiled, knowing what that inconsequential noise had meant.  
"Perhaps you will lessen the reigns you've place around her also," he suggested, an uncharacteristic playfulness only Inuyasha could bring tinting his voice.  
"Don't push it, Jackass."  
The Demon Lord approached the bed slowly, stopping between his mate's legs and capturing his chin carefully, forcing their eyes to meet.  
"This afternoon's events lead me to hope the needless fear you have of my touch will also be revoked." That tone was slow, melodious – pleading. Uncomfortable with the amount of emotion that had leaked into his brother's voice, Inuyasha cleared his suddenly constricted throat, tearing his gaze away.

"Keh, play your cards right – guess there's only so long I can avoid touching someone I share a bed with." That emotional silence was encroaching on them again, but Sesshomaru was smiling.  
"Very well reasoned, Little Brother." His head dipped, their lips met.

Inuyasha's chest tightened, but he remained still. The necessity for air broke their lips' connection, but their faces remained scarce inches apart, heaving chests touching, erratic breath mingling. "Every time is like the first time," Inuyasha breathed, glazed eyes blinking slowly as they stared into similar pools of gold. Sesshomaru's fingers slid to knot into silver locks, drawing them back together again.

Suddenly the door flew open, the brother's tearing apart. As Jaken darted in in panic.

"How dare you enter without announcing yourself!" Sesshomaru roared, Jaken trembled where he stood, but did not remove himself. "Explain your intrusion immediately!"  
"F-F-Forgive me, My Lord b-b-but, Hikireimaru, he is rumoured to have been surfacing in random villages bordering on the western lands."  
Sesshomaru felt his sibling stiffen beside him, and lad a steady hand on his shoulder, squeazing reassuringly.  
"There is a bounty on Lady Tsukihime's head," Jaken continued, "He is sending people after her, My Lord!"

"Let them come," Inuyasha growled under his breath, purposefully not meeting his brother's eyes as his daughter, sensing tension in him, wrapped her arms around his neck. The Half-demon's eyes closed against the room. He felt a strange feeling in his stomach, even as those reassuring touches from both demons sought to calm him. His jaw set at the reviled images flashing through his mind. The memories were gone but the dangers, the things he would _never_ allow to happen to his daughter still caused his stomach to make revolting spasms.

"Let them try and take her."

~To Be Continued...


	33. Of Dreaded Words

Author's Note:

Have finished another SessxInu picture and its SO much better than any ive drawn before, please follow the link (making sure you take out the 3 spaces) to view it : htt art. com/art/InuSess-Sleepless-Endearment-125044206

Thanks so much for sticking with me, please review so I know you're all still there lol

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**Chapter Thirty-Three  
**_**Of Dreaded Words**_

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The streets were noisy. People rushed about, hurrying to their businesses on the countless stalls. Demons and humans alike walked amongst each other, selling or buying wares. But every so often, when they were sure they were not seen, their eyes travelled to a particular pair making their way through the crowds which, seemed to part as if by magic, (though in reality it was a sign of respect for those they passed) inclining their heads courteously to them as they went.

The older of the two pulled the younger gently through the crowds, his larger hand wrapped tightly around the young girl's tiny fist. Her eyes were everywhere, scanning the noisy world, breathing in all the confused smells at once. She hurried a little faster to keep up with her guardian, not liking the feel of this strange place with no flowers or fresh air to breathe.

Turning his gaze to the girl that came scarcely past his knee, the older Demon smiled reassuringly, sensing her unease. "We are nearly there, Tsukihime," the dulcet voice cooed.  
She stared up at him, eyes wide with anxiety, ears flattened into the silver locks that hung down to the small of her back in smooth ringlets.  
"This is a bad place?" she replied quietly, her voice barely audible above the din.  
"It's just different, Tsukihime."  
She lowered her head still, afraid to lock gazes with those obviously staring at her for a reason she knew not.

"Raise your eyes child, there is no creature here that is so important as to divert your gaze."

The girl's head snapped up at that comforting voice, her eyes meeting with the fiery gaze of her father. Sesshomaru's lip upturned at the side in a small smile, she bowed a little to him before the adults continued talking.

"Kazuki," the Demon continued, looking to the guardian whose hand enclosed his daughter's. "We are done here for the day, but the deed will require our presence again in a few days to seal it, confounded village troubles."  
"Yes, My Lord," Kazuki answered with a smile, his now shoulder length violet locks escaping from the loose tie at the back of his neck. A lot more grown since the time Inuyasha had first rescued him from the hands of his 'master', the young demon's appearance had slowly begun to show more signs of manhood than childhood, although still sweet-faced in his boyish way, (as he would forever remain) he had grown taller and, as Nannami put it 'was more handsome than cute' now.

"Hey there Little 'Hime," a husky voice called from just behind Sesshomaru. The Half-demon smiled, finally catching up to his brother. He was flushed, but not from hurrying his steps. Kazuki released his hold on Tsukihime's hand just as Inuyasha pulled her up into his outstretched arms. "Hope you caused Kazuki a lot of trouble."  
"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru half-sighed, barely refraining from rolling his eyes. Inuyasha offered a mischievous grin that crossed his daughter's face far too often. The infant traced her _'mother's'_ face with an odd look in her eyes. Inuyasha frowned.  
"Inupapa," she growled softly. Sesshomaru stepped closer, but it was Inuyasha who spoke first.  
"What's wrong?"  
The child frowned.  
"I have…strange feelings in my tummy," she answered, her expression showing that she wasn't quite sure what she was saying was accurate.  
"Are you hungry?" Sesshomaru asked, "It has not been so long since your breakfast."

Inuyasha inhaled heavily, an odd sensation that had nothing to do with the heat he was currently suffering causing his skin to tingle. Sesshomaru leant forwards, wiping his mate's forehead carefully. "Nannami's concoction is taking the bite from the craving for carnal release but seems not to be helping you with the symptoms," The Demon Lord murmured, for Inuyasha's ears only. The Half-demon shook his head.  
"No, I'm fine, really-"  
"-You only came into heat this morning, you should not be plagued by them – I should have seen to you this morning before we left-"  
"-Hey, now!" Inuyasha snapped, embarrassed a little that his brother was implying he craved sex so badly. "Let's just get 'Hime back home, I don't like the smell of the air here, it smells like-"  
"-Indeed, let us go, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru cut across him, the brother's exchanging a meaningful glance before they turned to head from the village.

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The glistening rivulets clung to pale skin as the water cascaded from the rocks, riding the smooth muscle down the demon's body. Sesshomaru tipped his head back, his face greeting the gentle flow of the waterfall. His brow descended into a frown. _That smell has not poisoned my senses for three long years,_ he thought, every muscle in his body tensing as he recalled the scene he had stumbled upon when he had found Inuyasha as Hikireimaru's captive. _He has faded from the world ever since the encounter at the castle, sending only foolish bounty hunters in his place. But why has he resurfaced now?_

"If ya stay there much longer important parts of you will start to shrivel up."

Sesshomaru opened his eyes but did not turn, a smile gracing his lips. "And we could not have that, could we Inuyasha? Not while you still have use for it."  
Inuyasha flushed, turning his gaze away and shoving his hands awkwardly into his kimono sleeves.  
"Do not sulk, Inuyasha," The Demon murmured, turning to find his brother perched cross-legged on a rock jutting over the hot-spring's edge. He waded through the waist-deep water, the steaming pool obscuring his lower body from view as he approached his flustered sibling. "Your first heat with the full-effects began this morning and you have not yet had release."

Inuyasha frowned. "I've had heats as your mate for three years now-"  
"However, you've only recently stopped nursing Tsukihime, which had put a hold on the main effects of your heat – while your body is doing such things it doesn't see the need to increase your chances of carrying again."  
The Half-demon frowned again, as if struggling to take in all of this information whilst this unbearable, humming warmth, throbbed through his veins.  
"It's a shame demon kids don't age slower," Inuyasha growled, "I liked not having to go through this crap…"  
"Demon infants mature at the speed of a human baby until they are approaching adolescence, when the rate of growth slows until it eventually stops – when they are fully grown," Sesshomaru explained needlessly.  
"I know that, Jackass," Inuyasha grumbled, tugging at his kimono collar as his heat and the effects of the hot-spring bound together to assault his temperature.

"Since it is your first full heat with a mate, it will be difficult for you to cope," Sesshomaru continued huskily, moving forward and placing his clawed hands either side of his sibling on the rock. Inuyasha blushed darkly as he tried to alleviate his temperature by opening his kimono a little more at the top.  
"I will help you if you ask, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru's eyes were lidded with crimson passion, also suffering his heat – not his first with a mate, so he could cope better than his younger brother, but only for so long with him sitting before him so flushed and ripe.

**I**nuyasha worried his lip between his teeth, his body immobile. Golden eyes glazed over as pale hands came to run over the honey-hued flesh of his collarbone, before splaying out and tracing the contours of his chest as those hands spread his kimono until it fell from his shoulders, bunching at his elbows. "Aaaaahhh," Inuyasha whispered softly with a subtle exhale from his lungs. His chest heaved, and he turned his head to the side, bearing his neck in submission without being asked, for the first time in his memory. Those fingers ghosted over him, tracing beneath his navel and teasing over his pubic bone. Another wheezy gasp came from Inuyasha, making the Half-demon twitch. The hands danced away.

Breathing heavily, Inuyasha looked down with glassy orbs to see his brother watching him closely. He'd become accustomed to the dirty ways Sesshomaru lured him into arousal, and knew what the Demon was waiting for.  
"You said you'd help…" he murmured huskily in the back of his throat, "…make the burning stop." His words were coming out in heavy pants now as he leant back to allow his brother room to spread his legs and pull his hakama off. Claws raked gently over his backside as the Demon undressed his lower body, and he gasped loudly, capturing the whimper in his throat before it betrayed him. "Stop teasing me – asshole," Inuyasha growled.  
"Hnn," Sesshomaru purred, tossing the hakama to the dry grass beside them. "What an excellent suggestion, Little Brother."

* * *

**Scene Censored! To read this story with the full sex scenes please follow the link on my profile. If you're of age I really recommend the read there!**

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**

"Inupapa!"

The two froze at the voice. Rustling came from the forest enclosing the spring and footsteps reached their ears. They sprang apart, snapped sharply from their haze. Sesshomaru slunk back into the water and Inuyasha pulled his kosode back up his shoulders and tightly round him to hide his nakedness. Just then, Tsukihime stumbled into the clearing.

"Inupapa," she whined as she saw him, freezing on the spot and gnawing on the sucker in her mouth. "I don't want to play anymore, I want to go home."  
Inuyasha sighed, shaking his head as if to shake the fuzziness from his brain, and tying his sash tightly round his waist to keep his kimono shut before approaching his daughter. When she saw his arms open she ran into them. Inuyasha frowned at the rapid race of her heart. She was still afraid. He had a good guess what of. _She recognises the smell from earlier, it's making her uneasy._

"Lady Tsukihime! Tsukihime!" The calls were followed quickly by a breathless Kazuki stumbling from the trees, Rin not far behind. Like Kazuki, Rin had also matured, The recent few years had seized her young adolescent body and thrust it forward into rapidly approaching womanhood. It wouldn't be long before there was even less of a child left than there was now. As it was her physique was more full in the right places, her waist tucked inwards then flared out subtly at her hips at even proportions with her breasts. She had grown taller too, still smaller than both Kazuki and Inuyasha but still not the little flaky child she had once been. She beamed at Kazuki before approaching her Lords.  
"Tsukihime ran off," The now young woman explained needlessly, "Something spooked her I think. Lord Sesshomaru, should we take her with Ah-Un and start heading back to the castle?"  
The brother's met gazes, exchanging opinions silently between them, before turning back to Rin.  
"We will head back together, Rin," Sesshomaru responded. "Kazuki and you will go and fetch Ah-Un and we will return home." Their two wards disappeared into the trees as instructed and Inuyasha set his daughter down as he climbed back into his fundoshi and hakama as quickly as inhumanly possible. Sesshomaru changed back into his clothes in the same way, their daughter watching them curiously, still sucking on her feudal era's equivalent of a pacifier**,** whilst fiddling with the corners of her elaborate kimono sleeves.

"Why does Inupapa not look like me?" Tsukihime asked Inuyasha softly, and Inuyasha's eyes went from confused to wide with renewed awkwardness as he realised what she meant.  
"Uh, well, you see," he began haltingly, scratching the back of his neck, "I'm a boy and you're a girl, and boys and girls look different. Like Kazuki and Rin – Kazuki is a boy, Rin is a girl – they look different you see?"  
Tsukihime was silent for a long, torturous moment, even Sesshomaru (only half-dressed) had halted his movements in reattaching his armour and swords to listen.  
"And when they grow up and go marry people, Rin will be a Mother and Kazuki will be a father?" she asked. Inuyasha nodded nervously, knowing where this was going, and silently cursing demon children's slight advance on perception than that of a human child's. "So why don't I have a mother?"

That did it. Inuyasha fell silent, fangs sinking into his lower lip until it drew blood. Sesshomaru approached, standing comfortingly close to his sibling. He wanted to hear Inuyasha say what needed to be said, since he hadn't admitted it to her once, even after three long years.

"I guess….I guess _I'm_ your mother," Inuyasha answered.  
"But you're a boy like Father," She responded, her ears sliding back in confusion. Inuyasha smirked a little then despite his discomfort as his daughter called _The Great Lord Sesshomaru a 'boy'.  
_"You have a special mother, Tsukihime," Sesshomaru explained, speaking at last. "As far as we know you are the only one to have a mother this special – it is something to be proud of."

Inuyasha felt an odd tingling of relief flutter in his stomach. He had thought Tsukihime with her demon-heightened intelligence (considering her age) might think he was weird or worse, but her ears seemed to prick excitedly at Sesshomaru's words.

"So Inupapa is special? And I am special too, right?" she asked. Sesshomaru nodded, sliding his hands beneath her underarms and pulling her into his chest. "And Father is also special?" she asked. The Demon Lord smiled.  
"If you think I am such, then yes."  
"And I don't call Inupapa 'Mama' because he is special?"  
"Exactly," Sesshomaru answered. "Now, come let us find Kazuki and Rin and begin heading home – I have a meeting I need to attend back at the castle."

Inuyasha scowled a little at that, and felt his heat flaring to life slowly as he remembered his lack of release. Sesshomaru could suppress it, but he couldn't, and it was unbearable. And his brother was going to leave him with it even when they were home? He ignored Sesshomaru as he turned to ask him what was wrong, moving past him to meet Rin and Kazuki who stood with Ah-Un now on the border of the clearing, deciding to walk at their pace on the way home. He wasn't going to play nicely if Sesshomaru was going to neglect him. He flushed at his train of thought. Was he actually _sulking_ because he wasn't getting sex when he got in. He began walking a little ahead of the others, as if trying to drive the thought from his mind. _That's stupid,_ he thought, _I'm just pissed 'cause he's leaving me hanging – __**again**__ – that's all._

_

* * *

_

Inuyasha growled in frustration as he pulled the sheets up over himself. Sesshomaru had not yet returned to bed, even with the moon high in sky and Tsukihime fast asleep in her nursery. His pained body stretched out across the bed. It was unbearable that he was stuck there, cramps building up from his denied need, and Sesshomaru was busy prioritising stuffy old dignitaries and whinging villagers over him.

The Half-demon scratched his neck in frustration, a shudder coursing through him as his fingers skittered unintentionally over the mark at his throat. Alone in the room he all-but purred quietly, wriggling out of his kimono with wicked intentions planned. His hand found the hard, neglected place between his legs. His head tipped back, silver tresses splaying out over the pillows. "Hmm," He hummed, as delicious sensations rushed over him, the fingers of his other hand teasing the mark at his shoulder gently.

His mouth twitched to a grin as he felt it – felt Sesshomaru's reaction to his arousal, even despite their distance. He could almost see the Demon's face now…

* * *

Sesshomaru was seething. His teeth ground furiously together. Closing his eyes determinedly, he rubbed his temples, hot from the sensations his mate was sending coursing through his body. The villager's voice droned on, the sound dull, distant to the raging flames that licked up his insides. He was grateful for the desk between him and his audience, so that the erection pressing furiously against its restraints was not visible. _My Half-demon will regret his actions,_ he thought menacingly, wondering idly the best way to punish his rebellious sibling.

But he could feel it. He could almost _see_ what Inuyasha was doing to himself in their chambers at that moment. The heat danced over his skin in all the places Inuyasha's body was touched in. Without realising, a low growl shuddered past his lips. Suddenly, the room went very quiet. Sesshomaru snapped from his haze, staring blearily at those gathered before him. "Forgive me," he uttered swiftly, before straightening up in his seat. "Your troubles will be dealt with. Hikireimaru has not caused you any further difficulty I trust?"

The human who had been talking shook his head. "No my Lord, we are occasionally plagued by his bounty hunters, but they bear us no ill will, it is merely for Lady Tsukihime that they…" But the man trailed off, hanging his head slightly, not wishing to finish his sentence. And Sesshomaru understood nevertheless. Inclining his head to the side, the Demon Lord sighed.

"You have not to worry, protection will continue along the borders, and I believe if Hikireimaru resurfaces, his attention will be on the castle, and Inuyasha and Tsukihime, not the villages. You have no need to concern yourself with him any longer." He watched as the villager nodded, retaking his seat.

"I regret that Lord Inuyasha is not here to thank you in person alongside me, for your support regarding this matter with Hikireimaru." The Demon's gaze flicked to Lord Hachirou, who had not said a word this whole meeting, but had been watching him intently since it had begun. "I also offer my condolences, Lord Hachirou, for the sudden disappearance of your daughter Ran, I hope that you find her soon."

Hachirou merely nodded slightly, continuing to stare at him vacantly. Sesshomaru narrowed his intense gaze. He knew why Hachirou watched him so, he had heard the rumours this _Lord_ had sent about his lands – that Lord Sesshomaru had gone soft under the boot of his Half-demon mate and brother…

"And, I would ask you if there has been any other matter concerning you? I have heard that you have a problem where my conduct and my family are concerned."

Hachirou watched him, gauging his expression as if deciding whether it was best to lie or not. The intensity of the Demon Lord's stare dared him to, and he swallowed hard despite himself. The humans in the room shifted in their seats uncomfortably as the other lords watched in awe. They had all heard the rumours, and both dreaded and delighted in seeing the Lord of the West's reaction. Especially since the atmosphere was thick with tension from the Lord's heat also.

"It had merely come to my attention that your conduct towards dealing with half-demons and humans has been grossly exaggerated since a certain presence. You are overlooking important demon court matters to deal with trifling human villages." His voice was getting dangerously loud, and Sesshomaru's fangs were grinding in his mouth despite his outward impression of calmness. He was fuming. This was not the best time to deal with this creature. His temper was easily lost when he was this wound up in his cycle.

"You mean since Lord Inuyasha has come into my life, I have become less arrogant, less blind to the human and half-demon needs in my lands? You refer, of course…to my realisation that the humans and half-breeds in my land demand the same, if not more attention than the demons?" Sesshomaru responded quietly, coolly, as if he were explaining this to a ranting toddler. His lips upturned in a smile at the thought. Yes both his temperamental brother and stubborn daughter had been very good for his character.

"It does not take much intelligence to comprehend that a demon does not need the same amount of protection nor help as a human does. Perhaps my expectations of your intellect were drastically overrated, Lord Hachirou." Still Sesshomaru's tone was placid, though his words stung like a whiplash. Hachirou sneered.

"It does not take much intellect to see your once clear vision is obscured by a less-than-worthy cause. Everything you do is in aid of pleasing that Half-breed," he growled, getting to his feet. Sesshomaru remained seated, although a rumbling snarl was shuddering from his lips as Hachirou continued. "That unsightly, _unworthy_ creature is blinding you!"

SLAM!

Screams erupted in the room. The humans flew backwards against the wall, the demons stood by, watching warily, debating whether or not to separate them. Sesshomaru had lunged forwards, sending the desk between them flying, his claws sinking into Hachirou's throat, holding him up off his toes and against the wall.

"I warned you long ago, Hachirou, to be careful. The 'Half-breed' you speak of so callously is my brother and mate. He is worth far more than you or that fickle, spiteful daughter of yours that has betrayed you to Hikireimaru!" The audience gasped. Hachirou sneered but Sesshomaru just let him drop to the floor, stepping back carelessly as he watched the demon rub his throat, scrambling pitifully towards the door.

"You are heading the same way as your father, _Lord_ Sesshomaru. And mark my words; I'll watch you meet the same end, all for the sake of the same mangy half-demon."

A feral snarl tore from Sesshomaru's mouth, and Hachirou jumped, darting out the door hastily without so much as a backward glance. The Demon Lord sighed, rubbing his temples in slow circles. He knew that Hachirou had sworn the oath to Tsukihime and therefore could not steal her from the castle or harm her even if he wanted to. But that was not what troubled him. This world of theirs seemed still so volatile and angry. He had come to an understanding a long time ago that he would fall to death sooner or later, just as his predecessors had done for love. In fact he had surprised himself that he had lasted this long. But how could he leave now? Leave Inuyasha and Tsukihime, and Rin and Kazuki alone? If he died now, who would protect his strange little family…?

"My Lord?" One of the chief reigning lords stepped forwards, as Sesshomaru sat on the edge of the table, his body tingling with the overwhelming sensations Inuyasha was sending him despite his anxiety and fury.  
"My Lord, we stand by you. Hachirou has treated us all similarly in the past, his leaving does not sway us," The older Lord murmured. Sesshomaru nodded quietly. He knew how tired he must look, how overwhelmed, yet could not find the strength to care about outward appearances.  
"The changes that you have undergone, my Lord, can be only for the better, and we offer nothing but the highest of respect for yourself and Lord Inuyasha."

Those words made him look up. Sesshomaru stared at those gathered in the room, still slightly on edge after his outburst. He watched them carefully, before nodding again in understanding. They were silently pledging their loyalty to him, and more importantly to Inuyasha.

_They will support him when I fall,_ he realised, sighing quietly.

"That will do for today then, sirs; I will beg my leave of you now. Takara will be sure to see you out or to attend you should you need assistance," he said, heading for the door, the audience bowed low to him and he inclined his head to them as he left the room.

A pained, hurtful feeling in his chest pulsed menacingly. As the years had passed they had breathed life back into him, all with the promise of stealing it away the next moment. And it was only now that he began to worry for Inuyasha and the others, and what would happen to them if he left them behind, particularly as Hikireimaru had been resurfacing in arbitrary areas, each time closer to the castle. He stopped before the door to their chambers, and took a step back, instead re-directing himself into Tsukihime's room. His need and heat throbbed almost painfully in his veins like molten fire, but he could not face Inuyasha like this, anxious and concerned. He did not wish to plague him with the unavoidable fate that approached him.

The sleeping beauty in the overly grand bed did not stir as he approached. He paused there, staring at her. She seemed lost in the expanse of the bed with crisp dark silks and furs dressing it. Her wavy, silver locks, like Inuyasha's spread out over the pillows, ears flat against her head in slumber. But her markings made her resemble him greatly, he could not deny that, and though she was the embodiment of female perfection, he hoped that if he survived long enough to give Inuyasha another pup that it would resemble his fiery, precious mate more.

A single clawed finger reached out to trace his baby's face. She sighed pleasantly, but did not awaken, her claws merely knotting into the blanket beside her face. A shred of Inuyasha's old fire-rat kimono, that the Half-demon had given her when she was smaller. He felt a knot tighten in his chest. Leave his precious, young family alone…how could he allow himself to die when they needed him so much?

"Knock, knock."

Sesshomaru turned at the voice swiftly, seeing his mate leaning against the doorframe, a loose sleeping kimono wrapped without a tie around him. The Demon Lord smiled, approaching his sibling slowly. His blood was racing, his skin was humming. He had needed him all day…

"You have been a mischievous little pup," Sesshomaru growled softly, pulling Inuyasha to his chest and inhaling his scent deeply.  
"I don't know what you mean," he answered playfully, "Get off me you pervert." Inuyasha feigned a struggle, the two of them stumbling backwards out the door, which drifted shut slowly behind them.

Long, clawed fingers darted into the Half-demon's locks, the two crashing into the corridor. Sesshomaru's free hand cupped his mate's throat softly, pulling him up onto his toes and against his mouth. Wet, petal-soft lips melted against his, he felt Inuyasha's hot, frantic breath against his skin. He wanted him, he wanted all of him. He pulled his mate from him, holding him by his shoulders, his own fiery orbs staring down into a golden, glassy gaze. "Inuyasha…I…"

But the Half-demon dived for his kiss again, arms snaking around his neck and holding him to his mouth. Sesshomaru felt something all-too familiar swell in his chest. The desperate boy climbed up his body, and he held him tightly against his hip as his free hand supported him up off his feet. It made him laugh to think of the time before Tsukihime when Inuyasha thought he was the one losing himself to their relationship. If he hadn't known before he had to know now. He, Sesshomaru was completely overcome by him. A low, husky growl shuddered past Inuyasha's lips, enticing. Sesshomaru smirked, throwing them both through their chamber door and tossing his mate haphazardly to the bed.

Inuyasha's heart hammered in his chest, his robe open and legs spread hazily. His body glistened with a layer of sweat. Suddenly, a wave of out-of-body anxiety swept over him. And he leant up on his elbows to look at his mate, who was taking his time shutting the door.

"What's wrong?" the Half-demon asked hesitantly, watching Sesshomaru carefully. The Demon didn't move.  
"I am but tired of all these games that creature plays," he answered simply, both brothers knowing of whom he spoke, the name taboo in the presence of the younger sibling. "Three years of unease, I wish for it to end, I wish for you and Tsukihime to be safe again, _and to survive long enough to see it done_…" The last part was mostly to himself, but Inuyasha heard it, and sat up swiftly, his tieless clothing shuddering uselessly from his body.  
"Why are you suddenly talking like that?" He asked quickly, "What's wrong? Nothing can kill you – heck not even I could, and the gods know I tried-"  
"-Hikireimaru defeated me – _us_ last we met!" Sesshomaru cut across him, his tone sharper than he intended. He inhaled uneasily, turning to face the confused concern that swept over his love's body. "His sights were set on you and Tsukihime, and I could do nothing to stop him," the Demon continued, moving to stand before Inuyasha and the Half-demon's head tilted back to look up at him as he spoke.

"He is the first to have bested me since Father, and that concerns me. I will protect you, and Tsukihime – all of our peculiar pack, Little Brother, but I fear I have grown gluttonous for you these last three years or so." There was a pause, and his clawed fingers came up to glide into silver locks, smoothing the rebellious strands back slightly. His cooler fingertips slid down to cup the warm cheek, flushed from his raging heat.

"Like father, grandfather, and all the full-blooded ancestors before me, it is predestined that I should die from loving you, Inuyasha," he admitted at last, falling silent, watchful over the silver-haired creature before him. Inuyasha lowered his head thoughtfully, inhaling shakily. There was a moment, a long silent moment that spread the space between them that a heartbeat before had been miniscule. He tilted his head to the side, avoiding his brother's eyes.  
"You think because each one of our ancestors perished for the one they love, that you are predestined to die for me?" He asked, husky tones almost lost to his brother's ears. Sesshomaru did not answer, merely nodded slowly. "I can believe that everything happens for a reason, and I can believe in fate, but you're only biting onto half the idea there."  
Sesshomaru frowned at his brother's words, and then Inuyasha looked up to meet his confused eyes, the younger sibling's gaze steady, certain.  
"Maybe it means that I will die for you instead," Inuyasha murmured.  
"That is impossible," Sesshomaru answered immediately, not realising what Inuyasha's words implied. "I would not allow you to die, it is absurd."

The Half-demon scooted forwards on the bed so that he was on the very edge, and awkwardly, tipped his forehead against his mate's stomach, closing his eyes and inhaling him deeply. His mind raged with thoughts of their potential end and the pressure of his heat. He needed to rut right now, had needed to all day, and it felt like his insides were churning with the desire. Every inch of him was tender, on fire, burning, yet supple like a rich fruit ripe for taking. But it worried him that Sesshomaru was thinking of his death so easily, and his fingers knotted into the fabric of his hakama, as his brother's fur came to encircle his flushed, desperate body.

"Would it make it easier if I left you for a while?" he asked, hoping for a particular answer. He didn't want to leave but he wanted his brother to die even less. His grip on his mate tightened at the thought. A cooling, easing wave swept over him as his brother's fingers sifted through his hair, gliding down his back dotingly.

"To be parted from you would be worse than death," Sesshomaru answered him, leaning down and brushing slow kisses over his hair. "I would not let you go even if you wished to," he whispered, his tone rich with desire, echoing his words from years ago perfectly. Inuyasha shuddered in recollection of those words and tipped his head back to snare a kiss with his lips.  
"I'd leave just to have you chase after me," Inuyasha replied, answering with the same response as he had back then. The Demon Lord smirked against his breathless lover, catching the delicate lip between his fangs carefully, before purring his reply.  
"I would chase you just to be able to punish you after I caught you."

Sesshomaru growled then suddenly, deep in his chest, catching his brother's shoulders and throwing him roughly back to the bed. Inuyasha gasped, reaching up, silently begging for another kiss only to have one smashed against his desperate mouth, pushing him back into the furs.

"How can I debate with you when you are lying there so provocatively?" Sesshomaru asked, changing the subject abruptly. Inuyasha sighed, the sound quickly cut off as those tapered fingers traced over his mark slowly. He gasped. "You were very naughty, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru purred, leaning down so that his hot breath steamed into the flickering ear, "you need punishment."

* * *

**Scene Censored! To read this story with the full sex scenes please follow the link on my profile. If you're of age I really recommend the read there!**

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**

"What was that?" Inuyasha asked quietly, satisfied. He heard Sesshomaru stoic chuckle.  
"You gave me the honour of bedding your demon side; I have you the honour of bedding mine, well…as close as would be healthy for your body to come to my 'demon'. I am afraid I definitely would split you in two then, Inuyasha." They fell silent. Inuyasha's legs, back, ass – his entire body throbbed with that familiar ache of being taken so fully and perfectly. He sighed, eyes falling shut in exhaustion. Sesshomaru's fingers slid down his spine gently, massaging the aching muscles drowsily as his other arm wrapped possessively, protectively around his waist loosely.

"Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha asked sleepily.  
"Hn?"  
"When we…for you, is it like, the world falls away? And we're the only two left standing like–"  
"-Nothing else matters," The Demon Lord finished, not allowing the exhaustion to affect his voice, even as Inuyasha's words slurred a little from it. "Every time, Little Brother, every time…"

"I'm beginning to miss the days when I didn't have to talk to these stuffy old-"  
"You are ruling partner, whether as my mate or brother – you have escaped your courtly duties, Inuyasha, I have taken the brunt of it, you can at least take up the responsibility of dealing with trivial, external matters with me." Sesshomaru watched his brother carefully as he spoke, noting the way his brother's features dishevelled with an almost _pouting_ frown as he distracted himself by looking to the little Demon at his side, hand clutched tightly in his.

"In any case," the Demon Lord murmured, "If I left you at home alone you would pout like a spoiled dog."  
"Keh," Inuyasha grumbled, turning his face from his brother in order to hide the blush streaking across his cheeks. Ears slicked back into his hair. "I'm not your pet."  
"Hmm, is that what you believe?" Sesshomaru smirked when Inuyasha did not answer.

* * *

The sun streaked down, reflecting from three sets of glorious silver locks, as they made their way towards the few particular villagers that stood off to the side of the crowded market, awaiting their arrival. Just as they reached them, the Demon turned to Tsukihime quickly, earning him a quick flash of a smile from her sweet face. Inuyasha smirked at that. "That girl is spoiled by you," the Half-demon said teasingly, offering Sesshomaru a smile that was almost identical to their daughter's.  
"One cannot resist, she is too much like her _'mother'_," he prodded. "Moreover, all the better to prepare her for life as a princess - we had a advance in our choice of name - did we not," he turned to the little girl again, "Moon princess?"  
She giggled, hiding her childish blush in Inuyasha's fire-rat kimono. The Half-demon rolled his eyes, pulling the girl up to sit on his hip as the Demon Lord turned to deal with the humans gathered before them, waiting for assistance. The small family followed them into the most generous-sized hut of the village.

Inuyasha had to admit, though Sesshomaru brought him along to give the appearance of his participation, in matters such as these (farming and build-requirements in this case) he pretty much sat back and looked important while Sesshomaru did the talking. And this arrangement suited him fine. In matters of war, or trouble, or demons, he could help, in matters of currency and political permissions, he was useless, and he quite happily left it to his brother.

Their daughter sat on his hip, sucking the beads of subjugation into her mouth defiantly, despite Inuyasha's constant retrieval of them. But on feeling the weight of someone's gaze upon him, Inuyasha looked to his side, where Sesshomaru (in the midst of the villagers talking loudly amongst themselves on whatever matter they discussed) was watching him closely.  
"Do you know how beautiful you look holding our daughter?" he breathed in his ear. Inuyasha's ears shuddered.  
"Girls are beautiful – I'm a–"  
Sesshomaru's fingers encircled Inuyasha's throat gently, fingers rubbing his mark. The Half-demon threw his head to the side, whining submissively under his breath, grateful that his heat's thrall seemed to have diminished 'early' as Takara had informed him (which he was all too grateful for). The sex was amazing but the effects of _needing_ it constantly were so tiring.

"Seeing you so smitten with Tsukihime, it makes me want to fill that ripe belly of yours all over again..."  
"One pup's good enough for you right now, broody pervert, you're not the one who has to squeeze them out your ass are you? I assure you, they're not as small and cute then."

Sesshomaru offered a low chuckle, blowing softly in his mate's ear. With a final longing glance he turned his attention back to the meeting before the humans noticed their flirtatious behaviour, (remembering that the male humans did not appreciate their fraternal romance rubbed in their faces).

As appreciative as he was that his once stuck-up (though still ever impassive) mate was keen to assist humans and half-demons as well as just demons in his lands, it was good to be away from the boring elders of the village and out under the warmth of the sun once more. This time Tsukihime's hand was wrapped tightly in her Father's, though she had to stretch a little more to reach it for he was a little taller than Inuyasha.

"Well that as enlightening," Inuyasha groaned, scratching the back of his neck and stretching his arms out. Sesshomaru raised a brow at him.  
"Of course I saw you paying such disciplined _attention,_ Inuyasha?"  
"Keh," The Half-demon answered, distracted by seeing his daughter tugging at Sesshomaru's arm, trying to get at something. Following her line of sight, he saw the farm dog sitting at the side of the road, probably patiently awaiting its master. She wriggled to get out of Sesshomaru's grasp, and he released her, only for his fur to come about her little form, tickling her, but also pulling her back beside him. She giggled, wrestling playfully with the fur with all her puppy strength, and didn't try to move away again.

"She's got her father under her little finger," Inuyasha laughed softly, pressing himself into Sesshomaru's space, his silent way of asking for attention. The Demon laced an arm round that slender waist, tugging his brother against him.  
"She takes after her Papa then," Sesshomaru answered. A smile flickered across Inuyasha's lips.

Suddenly, violence exploded a few feet away. The brothers spun on their heel to face the chaos that hurtled toward them. Two humans had started a brawl in the middle of the village, and now the crowds were scattering frantically, struggling to get out of the way. Their ridiculous panic filled the air, and dozens of bodies slammed into them. Sesshomaru caught the front of Inuyasha's kimono on the way down, steadying the boy on his feet.  
"What the hell is wrong with these idiots?" Inuyasha snarled, standing as close to Sesshomaru as possible to avoid being trampled. And that's when he realised. "Tsukihime!" He dived down, reaching for her as Sesshomaru's ankles, but she was gone. Sesshomaru read the panic in his eyes.

"Tsukihime?" The Demon Lord called, his voice to much more commanding, powerful over the crowds.

As quick as a whiplash, his fur shot out, snaring one of the fighting bodies in the midst of the chaos, and tossing him aside. "Silence!" The crowds stopped dead in their tracks, staring at him, and the Demon Lord scanned each of them swiftly. "My daughter, where is she?" he asked stoically, as calm as if he were enquiring about a lost item, when Inuyasha's heart was pounding frantically in his chest.

The villagers looked at one another, as if confused, and Inuyasha lost his temper. "She's a little demon girl with silver hair and ears like mine, three years old – you can't miss her in a village full of humans dammit!" He gazed about them, eyes wide, his heartbeat now crashing thunderously against his ribcage. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't _think._ She couldn't have got that far in the space of a few seconds – unless…

"This way," Sesshomaru called from somewhere beyond his panicked reverie, seizing his wrist and dragging him swiftly away from the village boundaries. Inuyasha struggled against him, growling furiously.

"What are you doing we gotta find her – Sesshomaru we–"  
"-Will find her," Sesshomaru finished, not stopping, not even looking back at him. The Demon's jaw was set, his eyes flashing red every so often, and the grip he held around Inuyasha's wrist was almost painful. They had to find her. Inuyasha stared up at the rapidly darkening sky above.

"Tsukihime hates the thunder," Inuyasha murmured absently, recalling that Nannami had told him she must have got that from a young Sesshomaru. It was then that Sesshomaru turned to face him, fuming.  
"I will get your pup back for you; do not doubt my abilities, insolent whelp. You think I will let Hikireimaru touch her?" He saw Inuyasha's panic and seized him by the shoulders, shaking him roughly. "Just do as I say, Inuyasha!"

Just then, Sesshomaru released him, leaping backwards as if stung. Inuyasha frowned, moving to approach him but Sesshomaru held an arm out in warning, turning his face away. "Stay there," he growled, a low warning, demonic snarl that hadn't been directed at him for over three years now. But he quickly realised the reason for its use.

Bones cracked sickeningly, elongating – _growing_ at an alarming rate. Fur crept across that flawless flesh, jaw coming out into a muzzle. Inuyasha frowned, turning his gaze away. He had seen this transformation before, feared it, but he had never seen the full thing this side of falling into this relationship. And seeing the brother he now cared for's body tearing itself asunder, sickened his stomach.

The crunching, the tearing stopped, and Inuyasha dared to look up – _up_ into the face of the giant dog before him. "Get on my back, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru instructed, the words barely intelligible, beneath deep, shuddering growl. Inuyasha could not force his legs into movement. "_Get on_, Inuyasha," the Demon repeated, his tone more demanding than before, "We have to find her."  
_  
~To Be Continued..._


	34. Thundering Dawn of War

Author's Note:

Getting near the end of the story now. Thank you so much for those of you that are reading again and for those who are reviewing! Next update in a few days everyone!

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Four  
_Thundering Dawn of War_**

Chaos had swept over the castle at the arrival of the message. Rin worried her lip between her teeth, staring at the note in Nannami's slender fingers. The Demoness had turned the ragged, swiftly written note over and over again, as if it would offer the five of them some answers. But there were none. Kazuki stood behind Rin, flat against the wall, his head tipped back against the stone silently, while the little toad demon beside him exploded.

"This is ridiculous!" he squealed. "Lord Sesshomaru has only been gone a few hours; if they _have_ taken Lady Tsukihime then it can only just have occurred!"  
"The note was sent before, it shows their confidence, which is worrying," Takara murmured thoughtfully from his place at a suddenly pale Nannami's side. "No one has got so much as a _mile_ within the Lady Tsukihime since Hikireimaru three years ago… I…I am concerned as to what methods they will resort to keep her..."

Slowly, Takara prised the note from his mate's rigid fingers and stared at the words. "The script is careless but established. This is no common hunter. These people know what they are doing–"  
"-And the words?" Nannami interrupted, her voice uneven, fractured. "_'We have her, send Inuyasha alone if you want to see her again'?_"  
"I fear that is merely a vendetta against Inuyasha they wish to solve," Takara answered simply, the voice of reason in the panicked room, "a trap I hope our Lords are not so torn with grief as to walk into when they read this note."

"Lord Sesshomaru is careless when he is angry," Rin murmured quietly to her lap. "What if he loses his temper–?"  
"They will be back, Rin," Kazuki assured her softly, squeezing her shoulder, but she got to her feet, spinning on her heel to face him. He stepped back a little in surprise.  
"You cannot know that – and we cannot simply sit here and do nothing!"  
"Calm down, Rin," Takara began, but the human's worries cut across him.  
"I cannot sit back and _hope_!"  
"While Lord Sesshomaru is away from the castle you are _my_ responsibility and you will _not_ leave these walls until his return – is that clear, Rin." Her name came out as an evenly furious blow, those misty blue eyes watching her with hardened determination. With that she fled the room, the door shuddering in its frame as it slammed shut.

Kazuki sighed, offering Nannami and a still rigid Takara a silently explanatory look, before following after the human girl. Of course his demon speed gave him an advantage in any case, but she had not run far, and the sweet scent of her drew him towards the summer garden – the gift Sesshomaru had given Inuyasha the night of their mating ceremony…

The sky darkened overhead, rain leaking treacherously from the black clouds. The almost lilac leaves and blossoms were in full bloom, at their most beautiful before their end approached. Kazuki paused at the arbour leading through to the fountain, plucking the full, crimson bloom from its stem gently. The petals felt soft on his fingertips, and he traced the delicate shapes thoughtfully, as he continued up the path towards the sound of flowing water.

The rain broke the surface of the calm pool, shattering the reflection of her beautiful face with ripples. Kazuki's brows descended into a frown as he paused behind her where she stood, staring at her broken image in the water.

He set a careful, doting hand on her comparably fragile shoulder (his strength had grown in recent years as well as his young body). He watched her reflection smile, and her own, snow-white hand came to meet his, their fingers entangling without sharing so much as a word or glance. Rin stifled a sob terribly, as her free hand wiped the anxious tears from her mahogany orbs. Kazuki felt something in his chest knot at the sound and sight.

"I just want this to be over," she whispered, her broken voice almost lost to the low-howling wind that had started to pick up with the oncoming storm. "I just want them to come home without Hikireimaru haunting the doorstep…"  
Kazuki smiled sadly, knowing she could see his expression in the rippled water.  
"All will be well, My Lady," he said courteously, all boyish gestures overridden with very adult sincerity. His voice was quiet, contemplative, even as a low blush rode over his cheeks.

Rain beat hard down upon their heads now. Offering a swift glance to the dark heavens that roared above, Kazuki turned her shivering body to him. There was a moment, a fleeting second when their gazes met. Her eyes glazed over as she stared up with wide-eyed wonder, the pale lilac of his haori a blur as he swept it over her head and shoulders, shielding her from the rain. Those mahogany eyes widened as her heart thumped maddeningly in her chest. She could not tear her gaze from him. A flush dusted her pale cheeks, she knew he could hear her heart, sense her girlish fluctuations. The wind swirled around them angrily, and his arms circled her waist and shoulders, keeping her shield in place around her. Her arms were on his chest, and she swore she felt her rambunctious heart leap into her throat. When had this friendly, childhood affection swelled into something so…potent.

Suddenly, there was a flash of red, and she was startled as one hand released her gently, offering her the red blossom in his hand. She did not take it, could not bring herself to look away from his eyes, suddenly so mature and hungry as they stared at her – the way Sesshomaru looked at Inuyasha, the way a man looked at his lover…

She swallowed hard, nearly choking on her own spittle. She was quivering from something else now, some fluttering queasiness in her stomach, and she saw him smile as he noticed it. _Has he always been handsome?_ She wondered, oh she well-remembered the cute demon boy that had been introduced as her fellow ward three years ago, but when had he become…this _demon_, this man before her, claiming her with his eyes. His grip tightened around her waist, pulling a gasp from her lips, a gasp of a flustered virgin who had never been so intimate with a man.

Kazuki smiled again, twisting the flower gently between his fingertips, and leaning down, he grazed his fangs up her jaw line, until his scorching breath tickled her ear. He felt her burning blush against his cheek and smiled awkwardly again, praying he would find the will to get the words out right. "Take it if you will accept me," he whispered, his low voice husky as she had never heard it, and she gasped again. He pulled back an inch to meet her startled large eyes, and the smile fell from his lips as he awaited her speech.

"I…what?" she murmured, gasping for breath.

"You know as much as I, of demon rituals and laws, maybe more," he did not smile again, though she could sense it in his words, teasing her for being Sesshomaru's favourite. "I loathe…" he paused, wincing at his own struggle for words. "I could cause myself damage when I think of the possibility of you growing old, dying before me. But even more, I loathe the idea of another's arms around you. Forgive me for being so forward," he amended, the last part an attempt at alleviating the tenseness of his prior tone, "I haven't really been taught how to confess such things... Have never had to _contemplate_ how to. But I…"

Suddenly his face twisted as if in pain as his words died in his throat and his next words came out frustrated with his own confusion. "I beg you give me an answer, before I mess this up even more. Tell me your feelings have not progressed beyond the childish, companion's love we shared – tell me you do not love me as ardently and passionately as I adore you, and we shall pretend this never happened."

She stared at him for a long moment. The wind screamed around them, tearing at her body, but he still steadied her, his warmth still protected her. She swooned, vision swaying menacingly until she closed her eyes, waiting for the dizziness to subside.

Kazuki's heart beat furiously under her palm, and she considered his breathless body a moment before staring up at him again, her eyes calm, reflective. Mahogany orbs met the flower offered and her lips turned up in an easy smile. "The same colour as your eyes," she said, and as if that explained all his glassy eyes widened, and she took the blossom carefully from his grasp. Staring shyly up at him for the briefest of seconds, she leant up on her toes slowly, pressing her nervous lips up against her future mate's.

* * *

It had started to rain. Thunder roared overhead and Inuyasha shuddered as it beat down upon him. His claws knotted in Sesshomaru's fur in fury. His girl hated thunder. "If Hikireimaru lays his dirty hands on her I'll–"  
"-He will not touch her, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru cut across him, his voice a snarling animal's cry. Inuyasha stared down at him. It was so bizarre to see him like this now, crazed, furious, after so many years of tenderness gracing his eyes, he'd all-but forgotten his brother's less than merciful side…

_I can't even believe we were the same people back then,_ he thought sadly, recollecting their numerous battles and spiteful words. The death threats seemed like they were between two completely different creatures. How his life had changed so rapidly in just a comparably short time…

He winced at the sudden wave of nausea that was not helped by the jolting of Sesshomaru's leaping bounds. His hands coiled around the fur tighter, the loss of his child already burning deep in his gut, the source of the brewing vomit no doubt. The rain stung him, but he did not care to shield himself from the pain. His baby, his everything had been stolen away, and once again, he had been powerless to stop it. He grimaced, biting down determinedly on his lip. He loathed this weakness that had somehow seized him. He lost himself to Hikireimaru, he lost himself when Kagome left… He had no power in this senseless life, and it burned him to know it.

Suddenly, Sesshomaru skidded to a halt, Inuyasha nearly coming clean off his back. The Demon sniffed the air deeply, before sweeping the Half-breed gently to the floor, his body shifting back to its usual shape. Sesshomaru shuddered slightly, as the fur retreated from his skin, and glanced at his brother for a moment, as if considering his appearance.

"You look unwell," he stated, in a voice that seemed too calm to belong to a Demon Lord whose daughter had been stolen. Inuyasha sneered.  
"Well what do you think? That sick bastard has my pup – the thought of it makes me want to retch! Who cares about me you idiot! Save our daughter!"  
Sesshomaru inclined his head, eyes thoughtful, almost sad. He laid a hand on his sibling's shoulder gently, gazing into his eyes.  
"Stay here, Inuyasha," The Demon murmured.  
"Like hell I will!" The Inuyasha growled. "They're the only ones that have caught her, they're getting stronger each time and like _hell_ will I sit here like some bitch, waiting for you to bring her back to me or die in the process!"  
"Something ails you, you are sick, I will not allow you to risk your life," Sesshomaru argued, his voice raising. They did not have time for this. "I will bring her back! I order you to stay put!"  
"I'm not your lapdog – I'm your equal! And she's my daughter! It's time I reminded you what I'm made of!" The Half-demon answered tersely, sweeping past his brother swiftly and bolting into the forest in the direction of the infant's scent.

It sounded as if the world was dying – the wind screamed like a thousand tortured souls, rain crashed against him so hard they felt like rocks against his skin. His stomach cramped but he kept running, and he felt Sesshomaru close behind him. And then, suddenly, he heard it. His heart clenched his stomach churned in bone-chilling fear. A scream shook him. "Tsukihime!" he called to her, and though he felt Sesshomaru right on him, attempting to silence him, he could not find the will nor reason to silence himself. He shot forwards, undergrowth kicking up as he bolted into the clearing. Whiplash shook his body as he stopped so swiftly his brother nearly collided into his back. There they were, staring at the brothers with wide horrified eyes. Clearly they had not expected them so swiftly, apparently fair odds not being something they liked – they undoubtedly had backup on the way, but that didn't matter, all that mattered was the screaming, retching child in those imprisoning arms.

"Give her to me," Inuyasha snarled, his demon seeping into his voice as crimson crept across his eyes, fangs growing, biting into his already bleeding lip. His tone was in harmony with the thunder overhead, and as lightning leapt across the black skies, a shrill cry tore from his babe's throat. His fury boiled like lava during an eruption. "Give me the girl, now."  
"Forgive me, _Inuyasha,_ but it is I that holds the power here, not you." Her melodious, evil tone swept over him and he growled menacingly, advancing, but Sesshomaru caught his shoulders, holding him back. Ran laughed manically, tilting her head to the side to consider the brothers, both weak to her temporary power. "Hikireimaru will pay a pretty price for this brat – the child that should have been _mine!_" she spat.

"Even if Inuyasha had never been born," Sesshomaru began, voice dripping with hatred, "How could I debase myself by binding my body to your unworthy skin. Your bile sickens me! The thought of gracing your worthless body with my seed is absurd."  
"Bite your tongue or I'll cut your daughter's out!" The Demon beside Ran spat. Sesshomaru glared at Hachirou, the fool who dared cross him. Did they honestly believe that even if they had managed to get Tsukihime to Hikireimaru, that he, Sesshomaru would let them live now that he knew?

"Foolish old man," Sesshomaru sneered, struggling to hold his 'full-demon' sibling at bay. "You swore a blood oath to cause her no harm. You could not draw so much as a drop of blood from her and neither could your conceited, self-serving spawn."  
"I should tear his reproductive insides from him so that he cannot take anymore of the seed that he is so unworthy of!" Ran hissed, still bitter from rejection but Inuyasha snarled back furiously, making her jump.  
"You malicious, narcissistic bitch, you're not worthy of _being_ the pelt that covers our bed much less _in_ it in my place. I've walked this world; I've wiped the smug look from the faces of fools like you, that think they're _better_ than me. I've even beaten Sesshomaru on the rare occasion." He paused a moment, shrugging off his brother's suddenly slack grip and walking towards the wench slowly, her eyes narrowed with loathing as her heart thudded with manic fear. "I've proved my worth you conceited whore. _You_ were my competition? I don't even feel _remotely_ threatened."

She snarled at him but Inuyasha just cocked his head to the side, stopping before her. "I see you, and you are found wanting – you think you are more beautiful, more powerful because the blood that runs through my veins is demon _and_ human?"

Thwack!

The Demoness screamed, she released the child in her grasp in favour of holding her precious face, spoiled with an already brewing, angry bruise as blood crept down her painted lip. Inuyasha smirked, scooping up his fretting daughter and straightening up effortlessly. "Think again," he murmured, his demon's rough huskiness still present in his voice. A soft, tingling crept up his spine, and he knew Sesshomaru was at his side, as he watched the bitch fret over her spoiled face. He smirked at the sight.

"Fight me for him, you pitiful bitch, if you think you deserve him."  
"Inuyasha, do not overexert your tired body for such trivial-"  
"-Back off, Sesshomaru."  
"Do not make me laugh, you wretched half-breed," the Demoness seethed, still grasping her face as she hissed at him through clenched teeth. "You dare taint my skin with your filthy touch!"  
Inuyasha smirked, inclining his head to the side and tugging the top of his haori down an inch or so. The Demon blood in him relished at the action, proud of the love-bites that littered his flesh.  
"My 'filthy' body is covered in Sesshomaru, you simpering brat, that alone makes it more valuable than your 'precious' hide.  
Ran's eyes were wide with fury, she screeched. She leapt towards him.  
"How dare you?"

Inuyasha side-stepped her haphazard assault and caught her legs as she passed, swiping them out from under her. He dropped Tsukihime to her feet carefully beside Sesshomaru before spinning on his heel to meet a blow to his shoulder. The Half-demon winced as spiteful female talons dug into his flesh. Seizing the offending wrist he snapped it to the side, tearing a sickening howl from Ran as he wrenched it from his shoulder.

"I am not just a pretty face, Half-demon _brat_!" she warned him.

"Are you even that, Princess?" He retorted, his own fingers dipping into his wound. "Blades of Blood!" The crimson fluid stung the bitch's flesh and she tumbled backwards clumsily.  
"Lord Sesshomaru has spoilt you beyond reason," she gasped between cries of pain, "You do not know your place!"  
Inuyasha's lips quirked in a twisted, demonic smirk. Blood raced down from the gaping wound in his shoulder, but it was nothing. Once he had given birth to Tsukihime he was sure no agony would ever match that again.  
"As spoilt as I may be, I can at least take a bit of pain easier than _you_." He advanced swiftly, knocking her back down to the hard, unforgiving ground. His feet planted either side of her legs as she stared up at him with ominously glowing eyes. "And my place is here, above scum like you," he stated confidently. He watched as she scrambled out from beneath him, still seething, tears of agony staining her now crimson eyes.  
"You never even wanted his seed – you swore to tear the brat out of you! He forced himself on you! He only used your dirty body for his own ends!"

Inuyasha flinched inwardly at the reminder of their past, and cast a swift glance back over to where his mate stood, their pup wrapped carefully in the fur that cascaded from his shoulder. The Half-demon's chest tightened as he remembered the hatred of those old days – days that seemed so very far from now…

"No one can control how things begin. I can't change the past just as I cannot live in it forever, or spend the rest of eternity looking back with regret. It doesn't matter how we started out, because the way things are now, the way they will end, will be worth it."

Something in his stomach felt warm, shaky all of a sudden. Inuyasha stepped back from the treacherous female, slinking back to his mate's side. He didn't look at Sesshomaru but he knew he was watching him, he could feel the subtle tingling sensations race through his skin as the Demon rubbed his mark gently. He wasn't sure why, but the anger had dissipated now, and it was an embrace that cut him off from the rest of the world that he now craved, in the place of revenge.

"Go back to your _'employer'_ empty-handed," Sesshomaru warned the two before him, "and tell him we are ready. No more games. If he wants Tsukihime, he can try and take her himself instead of hiding behind his hunters. Our army will meet his and we will desecrate him. Now go." The last word was almost a shout, almost, but that same, complacent coldness dominated Sesshomaru's infuriated body. Inuyasha inclined his head to him. His brother always wore this face outside of their rooms, even when he was burning with hatred, he never betrayed it. It was so…frustrating.

"You're letting them get away with this?" Inuyasha asked calmly, his own voice returning as his demon fell back into the deep recesses of his soul. Hachirou and Ran fled across the clearing before them, nearing the trees beyond.  
"Hikireimaru has no further use for them, they will be dealt with," the Demon Lord said simply, before looking to his brother. "However…it takes but one to deliver a message…"

His arm rose, perfectly pristine nails at the tips of long fingers. Sesshomaru stared at them, nearly out of their sight, nearly at the trees, and with an eerie echo of his old malicious smirk, his fingers twitched.

A bloodied scream tore across the clearing. Birds leapt into the sky to escape the cries as thunder wailed above the crashing lightning. Just at the edge of the trees, the whip that had leapt from Sesshomaru's fingertips skewered the chest of the Lord that stood, immobile from the agony. The whip turned cruelly in the wound.

Ran stopped, turning to face her father, who growled furiously at her to go.

Inuyasha held his child's head into his chest, palm pressed over her downy ears softly so she could not hear the screams, the sickening tear of flesh. But he and his sibling watched, unfazed as the bitch fled into the trees, leaving her dying father choking on his own blood. The creature shuddered to his knees, and Sesshomaru twisted his arm again, rousing a strangled cry from bloodied, treacherous lips.

Inuyasha turned his head a fraction to gaze upon his mate's face. Pale beauty was laced with venom, and the Half-demon swore he could sense it approaching. Sesshomaru did not turn to him, but he must have realised he was being watched.  
"I will burn him apart from the inside out for what he has done," Sesshomaru growled, the sound causing a shudder to creep up Inuyasha's spine. "The things he has forced my mate to think of himself, the hardship he has _helped_ Hikireimaru wreak…"

A warm hand on his outstretched forearm made his words melt on his tongue. Still he would not meet Inuyasha's eyes.

"Hikireimaru's men will be here soon, and I'm not fighting a war with a pup in my arms. Tsukihime is soaked, we need to get her home," The Half-demon mumbled softly, but they both knew what he had meant behind those words. They both wanted to tear this man apart, make him choke on his own miserable life as it fled from his slimy body, but cruelty was something neither of them possessed any longer.

Sesshomaru sighed. His arm swept upwards towards the sky, and with a sickening, ripping echo whispering through the clearing, the screaming was silenced. Wind tore at their bodies as the bloodshed ceased. The lightning illuminated the end of the games they had been playing the last few years, and the beginning of war bit into the ominous sound of thunder creeping towards their home. It had begun…

* * *

"Would Grandfather have liked me?" her weakened voice asked shakily. Sesshomaru offered a slight smile, petting his daughter's head and grazing the downy ears gently with his thumb, the same way he might do for Inuyasha. An odd, warm feeling swelled in his stomach, and he pulled the furs up over her feverish body more.  
"Your grandfather would have adored you," he promised, recalling vividly the glee that graced his father's face once he had discovered Izayoi carried his second pup. Until he had seen Inuyasha's belly full of Tsukihime, he had never been able to understand that joy that his father had expressed so freely. Like him, his father had been distant and stoic to the outward public, only betraying his softness to those closest to him. _Like father, like sons,_ he supposed.

The story of Inu-no-Taishou and Izayoi always roused such adorable questions from his pup. And usually Inuyasha was the one to enjoy them, but since his mate had fled into the washroom, not feeling well, he had taken the post. He brushed the back of his pale hand over his daughter's sweat-speckled forehead. A frown creased his brow as he felt the heat against the back of his palm.

"You are burning up-"  
"But it's cold Papa," the little girl whined, leaning into her father's warm hand.  
"Does your head hurt?" he asked, his voice husky as only Inuyasha heard it. The child nodded, and Sesshomaru swept the sweaty bangs that hung into her eyes up off her forehead. Taking the cloth from the bowl at the bedside, he wrung out the excess water, before laying it gently on her head.  
"There 'Hime, I will call Takara for something to take the aches away so you can sleep." He got to his feet slowly, tucking the furs back up to his daughter's chin and allowing the briefest moment to rub the soft pelt to brush her cheek before he moved to the door.

"You," he snapped at the guard passing the doorway, the Demon leaping back in surprise.  
"M-My Lord!" the creature gasped, heart thundering in his chest. "H-How may I b-b-be of service?"  
"Summon Takara with another of his remedies for Lady Tsukihime," he explained stoically, watching the servant bow low before closing the door.

A quiet, murmuring whine whispered from the bed, and the Demon Lord approached it slowly. Thunder grumbled loudly overhead, the shutters closed tight to block out the frightful flashes of lightning. But the sounds, the thunder and rain beating hard upon the palace walls were enough to make the sick child in her parents' bed uneasy. Sesshomaru caught the sucker that had fallen from her mouth and popped it back in carefully, his restless gaze never once leaving her face. He had never seen a demon child so sick from a mere storm. Perhaps it was the Inuyasha in her that rendered her vulnerable to it? Did Inuyasha get sick from being out in the rain?

A vile, retching sound came from the open door to the washroom, and Sesshomaru cringed. Evidently Inuyasha _did_ get ill from being out in the rain too long.

The Half-demon gasped for breath as his throat retched. His stomach churned, boiling its contents before bringing them up until there was nothing but bile remaining. Choking, spluttering he cursed the unease in his belly as he cried out that he felt his guts were being turned inside out. A soft hand rubbed his back in slow circles and sensing no one else was in their bathing chambers he whined softly as the pain eased. "Urgh…I hate vomiting," he grumbled sitting back on his heels and wiping his mouth.  
"Who would care for it?" Sesshomaru asked rhetorically, handing a flask of water for his mate to clear his mouth out with. Inuyasha mumbled thanks as he downed half the liquid with ease.

"I fear that being out in the storm and rain has taken hold of you as well as Tsukihime," The Demon Lord murmured softly, his calm voice tinged with anxiety. Inuyasha brushed him off, steadying himself carefully on his feet as he headed back to their bedroom.  
"Don't be stupid, Tsukihime is a pup of course she's susceptible to illness but I'm certainly not that weak."  
"To admit you need help from _me_ is not weakness, I am aware you are shaken from Hachirou abducting Tsukihime but we have grown beyond the point where you cannot come to me when you need me."

Inuyasha stopped in the doorway, staring at their grand bed where their daughter lay, freezing yet sweating under their furs. His old fire-rat haori lay over her, the scent soothing her enough to permit uneasy sleep. Whilst in her captor's grasp they had obviously neglected to keep her warm, since over the last few days she had come over sick (Takara saying it was a fever from being out in the storm). The simple explanation did nothing to appease the brothers' worries however.

"I know," the Half-demon whispered, watching his girl breathe uneasily. "I'm sorry, this is just too much." Two warm arms encircled him slowly, coming to rest around his roiling stomach, easing the pain. Maybe he was coming down with whatever Tsukihime had, he hadn't been this sick since he was a pup, and he had spent his first night out in the cold, alone after his mother had died…

"I'll just be glad when this is all over," Inuyasha explained, closing his eyes against the dimly lit room. His head was swimming, it felt so heavy…  
"Indeed," Sesshomaru breathed in his ear, allowing the younger demon to tip his heavy head back so that it rested against his shoulder. "We have scarcely had peace since you conceived Tsukihime; it will be nice to enjoy life once again once Hikireimaru is dealt with." _And hopefully I will be around to enjoy it with you,_ the Demon mentally added. His mate flinched at the creature's name and he tightened his embrace in response. "Such a silly pup," he breathed, catching a soft ear between his lips. Inuyasha sighed, leaning into the touch. The warmth that surrounded him eased his aches, one of the Demon's hands even stroking his abused throat, sore from the retching. "I adore you, Inuyasha."  
"You aren't so bad yourself," Inuyasha murmured huskily, blushing, unable to say what he really thought. He felt Sesshomaru smile against his cheek as kisses brushed against his skin.

"Make my pup well again, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha mumbled uselessly, "She never gets sick, even when she was born she came out fighting, I don't want to see her like this anymore…"  
"She will be well again, Inuyasha," The Demon Lord all-but purred the last word, pulling reluctantly from his mate in favour of answering the following knock at the door.

"You summoned me, My Lords?" Takara asked, breathless, not exactly at ease himself.  
"Yes, for Tsukihime," Sesshomaru explained, "she is in pain still, the fever is at its highest, it may break tonight but the pain is too great for her to sleep."

Takara merely nodded, approaching the pup wrapped up in the bed with a flask in hand. The brothers shared a look for a moment, before they turned their attention to the Demon administering the medicine to their daughter. "You seem out-of-sorts yourself, Takara, are you well?" Sesshomaru asked. The Azure-eyed Demon sighed, resting the little girl's head back against the sheets once she'd swallowed all the concoction.

"Just concerned for the Lady Tsukihime, and the battle, and…Nanna has not been herself lately I just wonder… It is nothing my lords, I am sure she is merely overtired." Takara straightened up, tucking the empty flask into his pocket as he took the wet cloth from the pup's forehead, dipping it into the water and wringing it out before laying it freshly across her skin once more.

"You do not look so well yourself, Lord Inuyasha," he began, a tad more light-hearted than before, his usual self seeping back into his voice. "Have you caught Lady Tsukihime's cold?"  
"Keh," Inuyasha grumbled, stripping off the top half of his haori that had been soiled when he vomited. "Nothing wrong with me, just a little puke, nothing I can't handle…"  
"Still, you should take care of yourself the Lady needs you and with the battle coming up-"  
"-Listen, I know you're like _brilliant_ and all that but just fix my daughter, that's all I care about. I'm expendable as far as she is concerned."

Takara looked between the brothers carefully for a long, silent moment, before gathering himself to his feet. "I knew that I would not be mistaken in your abilities to make this work," he said, that same warm smile gracing his lips. The brothers looked confused. "This," Takara explained, gesturing to the two of them, "the two of you, together, and your daughter, it looked like mayhem to begin with but…you turned it around. I believe that Lord Inu-no-Taishou would be proud of you both endlessly." Approaching the door, their servant sighed easily, turning with a final message for the brothers. "Should Lady Tsukihime's temperature go up in the night, or should she awaken, summon me immediately. And Lord Inuyasha, should your sickness worsen, the quicker you inform me the easier it will be to remedy it."

The door closed with Takara on the other side of it, and Inuyasha watched him go, stunned. "How comes he always just seems to flow in and out the room like he's floating in this little bubble or something?" Inuyasha wondered, setting down on the window-seat so as not to disturb his finally slumbering pup. Sesshomaru smirked, following his mate and leaning against the wall beside him, his stomach almost touching Inuyasha's naked shoulder. His long fingers wound into silver hair, softly scratching the Half-demon's scalp. Inuyasha smirked, sighing in relief as he tipped his head against Sesshomaru's warm body.

"I wish I was as resilient as he is, I'm just so tired lately," he murmured, eyes fluttering shut as he listened to the soft sound of the Demon Lord's breathing. That hand slid down his neck, caressing his mark dotingly, and he could feel Sesshomaru's gaze upon him.  
"All this chaos is merely taxing your nerves; you will be yourself again once it is over."  
"I hope you're right," Inuyasha sighed sleepily, his words barely distinguishable above the ominous sound of thunder still prominent in the world beyond that room.  
"I am always right," Sesshomaru corrected, the smirk apparent in his voice. Inuyasha offered a sleepy smile back, without opening his eyes.  
"Jackass," he growled.

* * *

An innocent, shaky gasp was hidden beneath the still raging storm. In one of the watchtowers on the outer walls of the castle, a handful of torches blazed in the darkness. The small, warm alcove sheltered the couple from the rain and from even a demon's sight, as careful, tapered fingers traced a soft, flushed cheek carefully.

"Kazuki," the girl whispered against his lips, her breath coming out as fog in the cold air. He smirked, the hand cupping her cheek sliding back to entangle in the hair at the base of her neck to draw her forward against his mouth. So new, so different to their childhood games, these new emotions, they made their skin hum when they were this close.

"You are burning up, Lady Rin, perhaps I should take you to Takara?" the Demon teased, drawing his lips away a fragment so that he could gaze into those smouldering eyes. She flushed.  
"My temperature has nothing to do with a cold, Kazuki," she jokingly reprimanded, her voice wavering. He smirked, pulling the thick fur that was wrapped around them higher up her neck to keep out the chill.  
"Have to keep the innocent little human warm," he laughed, lacing the side of her neck closest to him with kisses. Her skin tingled wherever he touched and she leaned in a little more so that his arms wrapped around her.  
"I won't be innocent for much longer."

He paused then, drawing back to meet her wide, doe eyes. Clearing his throat, his gaze fell to her lap awkwardly. "I do not think that is such a good idea, Rin."  
"What?" she asked, bemused, straightening up from her love-induced haze. "So…you are willing to spend eternity with me but not make love to me?" She watched him blush profusely at her last words.  
"No it is just…at least, Lord Sesshomaru's permission should be granted before I take something so important from you."  
"Lord Sesshomaru is my guardian not my master-"  
"-All the same I would like not to postpone our mating because the Great Demon Lord has decided to use me as a shoe-buffer."

The human laughed, leaning in to rest her head on her betrothed's shoulder. "Do not be scared of Lord Sesshomaru, he loves you the same as he loves me-"  
"-I am not the innocent virginal mortal," he answered, pondering the best way to ask for Sesshomaru's permission for his favourite's hand.  
"Dearest," she sighed, nipping his slightly pointed ear gently. "Let's not worry about it now." The tone of her voice had dropped notably, now remaining only a subtle murmur. He turned to her, his mouth advancing slowly upon her lips. "How you've grown since I first met you," she giggled, and saw briefly his dark blush before he pressed a more ardent kiss against her. His hands were constantly moving, as if he were uncomfortable wherever he put them. Eventually, smiling against him, she took his ever-careful hands and placed them at her waist, gasping breathlessly into his mouth.

Her hands skimmed his torso as their hot bodies pressed together. But just then, he drew back, sliding out of the fur-blanket and securing it entirely around her. She frowned, watching as he adjusted his seating beside her in confusion. "What is the matter?" she asked, her cheeks still dusted with arousal. He coughed awkwardly, staring out at the dark horizon.  
"I errr…I just need a break," he muttered swiftly, as if frightened of being caught saying the words. "I cannot help myself when you touch me back…"

Her eyes widened then, and she realised what he meant. "Oh."

Kazuki smiled despite himself, the cold air outside the fur helping phenomenally to diminish the swelling in his nether-regions. His crimson gaze followed the line of the barely visible pathway towards the village, and the dark forest beyond. This storm that had fixed itself above them, would it never shift? They would be waterlogged if it did not move on soon.

Suddenly, movement. A flickering glimmer in the darkness. A presence. Kazuki's heart leapt into his throat. The hair on his arms and neck stood on end as he tensed. Rin stared at him in confusion. "Kazu?" she asked, her voice careful, quiet. "What is the matter?"

He held a hand up, silencing her. "Stay here, no matter what happens," he whispered, swiftly dropping a kiss to her forehead before he dropped to the ground.

Straightening up with little effort, he walked deliberately slow towards the cloaked figure that had stopped not far away in the darkness. He didn't know what trickery it was, but Rin was up there, and he had to be the man that protected her now, instead of the child that hid behind Inuyasha's legs. Just a few dozen steps carried him close enough that he recognised the stench of the creature, the face, and he stopped dead in his tracks, treacherous heart racing in his chest.

"If you have come to fight I warn you, the brothers are busy with Lady Tsukihime – after your latest attempt she took ill. Her fever is raging." His voice sounded cool, brave, the complete opposite to what he felt. His fingers tensed against the cold; numb, frozen and afraid. Would he have to fight this demon, again? He would not last long; he knew this, even with his training. He just hoped he could last long enough for Rin to run to Sesshomaru and safety. However, strangely, instead of malice, he found that Hikireimaru's face twisted into concern.  
"Touya is unwell?" Hikireimaru asked, his voice anxious, "that frivolous bitch responsible will be dealt with."  
"You are the one responsible," Kazuki answered, but the glare he received from those dark, ominous eyes told him he should have remained quiet.  
"Do not test my patience, runt, you are lucky to have lived long enough to deliver this message," Hikireimaru sneered. "Do not pretend to be anything other than the snivelling whore that grovelled at Inuyasha's feet, begging for protection years ago."

Kazuki stiffened, the reminder of that dark time biting into him like a whiplash. But he remained silent, not daring to retaliate if he hoped to see the human he was promised to again. Her scent whisked to him on the furious current of winds then, and he breathed in shakily, calming himself as Hikireimaru stared into him, no doubt devising a million ways to end his life…

He had heard of what Inuyasha had endured at this monster's hands, similar to what he had suffered, only for a longer time than Inuyasha. Demons like Hikireimaru like his 'master', Shigehira made his skin crawl; he never wanted someone like that to touch him again.

"Once the pup is better, my army will be waiting on the far western border. Sesshomaru will meet me there and we will finish this." With that, the Demon turned, slowly fading back into the darkness, the storm's fury swallowing him whole. Kazuki stepped back hesitantly, before turning and bolting towards the gates. He didn't know if Hikireimaru's promise to wait until Tsukihime was better was one he would stick by or not, but he had to let Inuyasha and Sesshomaru know immediately!

"Rin! RIN! Open the gates!" he called up to her. His breath coming out in harsh pants as he sped back to the castle. The thunder almost overpowered his cries as they tore at his throat, but he was sure he saw her heading for the stairs to find someone to let him in as he called up to her. "OPEN THE GATES!"

* * *

Inuyasha's body curled around his slumbering daughter's form, his mate pressed around the girl's opposite side, his forehead resting against his own. Tsukihime squirmed as the scent of her parents lulled her into deep, undisturbed sleep. The sweet scent of the Demon's breath disturbed the hair that hung into his eyes as he slept on, unaware that his Half-demon mate had just jerked awake in agony.

Pain tore through Inuyasha's abdomen. He winced, biting hard into his lip to silence his cries as he felt his stomach churn. He knew this pain, it was not immense but it was not nice. Closing his eyes tight, he tried to recall what he had done that could _possibly_ have caused the sickness to resurface. _I took Tsukihime's medicine,_ he thought. Could that have caused the illness? He thought that cold medicine was universal? Or perhaps his half-demon body rejected certain demon concoctions; they did have different immune systems after all.

The train of thought crumbled then, as that foreboding lurching in his stomach caused him to tumble off the bed, the dull thud of him hitting the floor on his hands and knees rousing Sesshomaru from slumber.

The Demon Lord stared about him, scanning the gap in the bed beside their still sleeping daughter where Inuyasha should have been. He frowned, sitting up a little straighter. "Inuyasha?" His only answer was a vile, dry-retching noise. Getting to his feet he darted to his sibling's side, for a moment panicking at the sounds and tremors that shook the boy's body. Finding himself again, he scooped Inuyasha's hair up behind his head, rubbing his back carefully, until the dry heaving ending and the Half-demon vomited up the liquid contents of his stomach up onto the floor.

Clawed fingers dug into the material of Sesshomaru's kimono as he clung unthinkingly to him. The spluttering and coughing choked him, robbing him of breath as he pressed his naked torso as hard as he could into the Demon's body, holding his roiling stomach. Sesshomaru caught the back of Inuyasha's hair tugging it back to press a kiss to that forehead before regrettably pulling away. Darting to the door he called Takara's name out into the hall, before returning to his mate's side.

"Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked, wiping back the sweat-strewn hair that hung into the Half-demon's eyes. Inuyasha was panting for breath, but he nodded to signal that he was okay. Casting a swift glance to the bed to ensure their pup still slept on, Sesshomaru steadied his brother on his feet, dragging him from the soiled carpet and to the daybed at the side of the room.

"Lay here until Takara comes," Sesshomaru murmured, his words swift with anxiety. He looked over the sweating body, pressing his palm to that pale cheek. Inuyasha's eyes fluttered and met his own. "Are you alright?" Sesshomaru asked. The Half-demon nodded, trying his best to offer his usual grin.  
"Keh, just a bit of puke, I'm alright…"  
"Where does it hurt?" the Demon asked, and Inuyasha shrugged.  
"My stomach, my back, my head…oh god my head…" He winced, just as Takara stumbled into the room, wearing nothing but a sleeping yukata, Nannami was close behind and both inhaled the vile air in the room carefully.

"You took Lady Tsukihime's medicine?" Takara asked, with a confused frown, obviously able to smell it in the vomit. Inuyasha nodded. "Odd," the Demon continued, "a child's medicine should not have affected you so…"  
"It smells like the plague in here," Nannami winced, holding her nose as she headed to the side of the bed. "I'll clear this crap up, Takara you help Inuyasha."  
"Naturally, Dearest," he said, smiling softly as he ushered for Sesshomaru to move aside slightly.

Comparatively cold fingers pressed into Inuyasha's stomach, and the Half-demon winced.  
"Did that hurt?" Takara asked, pulling back slightly. Inuyasha frowned.  
"No, your damn hands are just freezing!"  
"It seems all the medicine is out of your system from vomiting," Takara explained, sounding happy with that result, "you have a very able immune system – it purged you of all the substance before it did any damage. You see, the colour is already returning to your skin."  
"But what caused it?" Sesshomaru asked, still perturbed, his mate had a habit of reacting badly to substances that _should_ have been safe.

A concentrated sigh tumbled from Takara's lips as he traced the contours of Inuyasha's stomach carefully, every now and then confusion and interest gracing those kind features. "Unbelievable," the Demon gasped at one point, and then Inuyasha snapped.  
"Okay okay, you've reached your limit in 'gropes' for the next moon cycle," Inuyasha griped, sitting up on the daybed and swatting Takara's roaming hands away, (already feeling a lot better). "Now _what_ the hell is wrong with me? And if you tell me it's a cold I'll take out your liver and-"  
"-It is not a cold, you are perfectly healthy now that medicine is so successfully out of your system. I had thought that a demon _child's_ medicine should not harm you but then again your body is only _half_ demon and also under a great deal of stress. And I would not advise even a full demon to drink that particular brew whilst pregnant."

Sesshomaru's heart skipped a beat; Takara had a way of dropping his diagnosis upon them like that, unexpectedly at the end of a long explanation. _Just when Inuyasha is about to lose patience or doze off no doubt,_ the Demon Lord thought, his mind dazed with the sudden shock.

Choking on his own tongue, Inuyasha sat bolt upright, sending Takara tumbling back onto his backside in surprise. He stared between Takara, Sesshomaru and Nannami, then back to Sesshomaru again, his stunned expression almost accusing. Pregnant?  
"I can't be," he all-but gasped, eyes still wide, "I didn't know I could even be pregnant otherwise I might'a suspected-"  
"Well if one ruts with one's mate during a full-fledged heat season without protection then often the consequence is pregnancy," Takara slowly explained, rolling his eyes slightly. Inuyasha blushed at his stupidity.  
"Shut up ya old coot!" Inuyasha snapped, shifting uncomfortably. "I just…I never even thought about it, with everything else going on…"

There was a moment where he stared over at his (somehow still) sleeping girl, tortured by her raging fever, even in slumber. He loved his daughter, and maybe if this had come at a more opportune moment, he would have relished this 'blessing', but right now…

"How could we have been so _stupid_?" Inuyasha murmured to Sesshomaru, and the Demon stiffened.  
"There are some who are not blessed as we are with the ability to have pups, Inuyasha," the Demon Lord reminded him, "Perhaps you should think before you speak. Or is it that you suddenly do not desire my seed inside of you?" He sounded angry, he had every right to be, he supposed, but Inuyasha didn't care.

A flush rose across his cheeks and he raised his head to Nannami and Takara who now stood before him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that you _know_ it – it's just, I _can't_ carry pups right now. There's a battle to fight!"  
"I am sorry it is inconvenient, Sire," Takara said gently, "but it can only be expected when two potent demons mate during their heat unprotected. And I can assure you, you _are_ pregnant," the Demon looked up to his mate, Nannami smiling knowingly as he continued, "with twins."

Inuyasha blinked, horrified. He cursed under his breath. Was the room moving? No, he was just swaying to the side, making a beeline for the floor, that was, until Nannami caught him, steadying him back upright on the daybed. He swore he heard Sesshomaru's heart jolt again. His breath caught behind the lump in his throat.

"Twins?" the Half-demon repeated, "As in…there are two in there?"  
"The Heavens save us," Sesshomaru breathed, getting to his feet slowly. It was the first time he had spoken since the announcement, and Inuyasha was watching him carefully. The Demon closed his eyes, sighing. "Three Tsukihime's, the world is indeed in for trouble-"  
"Well hopefully these two won't have sadistic stalkers," Inuyasha mumbled, still not sure he was pleased about this or not (mostly leaning towards _not_).  
"That is not amusing, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru chastised him. Inuyasha just laughed giddily, drawing everyone's attention back to him once more. Sesshomaru frowned. "Inuyasha, are you alright?"  
Inuyasha shrugged.  
"I can't be pregnant – there's a battle and…and fighting to be done and, that…Hikireimaru to… Two? Are you sure there are two?" he asked Takara again shakily. Takara smiled.  
"I could count again, if it would appease you, Sire."  
"No," Inuyasha said, shaking his head, "No, no, no, you might find another one in there…I…oh god…"  
"What is the matter?" Sesshomaru asked, only to have Inuyasha stare up at him like he had two heads.  
"_What's the matter?_" he repeated, "I'm pregnant – again, with _two_ pups! Not one, but _two_! We could all be killed by Hikireimaru in this battle and if by some miracle we survive I have to push two pups out of my ass!"

A shrill cry sounded from the bed as Tsukihime awoke and Inuyasha leapt to his feet, still glaring daggers at Sesshomaru. "And now you woke the kid up – thanks Sesshomaru, thanks a lot for that and for _this_!" He punctuated his last word by gesturing to his stomach, before moving to his sick daughter's side, leaving the Demon Lord standing there, confused with his two servants watching him carefully.

"Hnn," Sesshomaru murmured, still stunned. "I withdraw my hope that our next child would be more like Inuyasha. In fact, if either of our pups inherit that temper I will shut them in the kitchen-storage cupboard."

Takara and Nannami shared a look, laughter brewing in their features. But Sesshomaru's stare intensified. "It is not amusing Takara," he snapped.  
"No, My Lord," Takara answered, biting his lip to prevent a chuckle from slipping through. "Not amusing in the least."

~To Be Continued...


	35. Where Everything Burns

Author's Note:

Okay, thanks for the reviews again guys! WARNING! For gore and violence and swearing.

Dedicated to all my lovely reviewers ^.^

**I drew a picture of Hikireimaru as some of you asked, to view it please follow this url (without the spaces): **http : / / hyperlittlenori deviant art . com/art/WTMFR-Hikireimaru-130822893

Hope you like!

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Five  
_Where Everything Burns_**

Screams ripped through the darkness. A low, shallow hiss of searing flesh punctuated the cries, and the sickening smell caused those in the room to turn away from the scene – well, almost all…

A leering, pristine grimace revealed glistening white fangs in the dark. Hikireimaru drank in the scent of agony, the sounds of torment, while each of his followers turned away in disgust. The bonds that held the pitiful creature pulled taut as the writhing body slumped to the ground. Hikireimaru glanced at the white-hot iron in his hands, his fingers ghosting over the blade, almost touching it as he regarded his prisoner.

"Those foolish mongrels did not have the strength to punish you in such a manner," he droned softly, circling the beast. He gestured with his head for the demons either side to pull the chains tight, drawing the prisoner to her feet. He cooed in pleasure as he basked in the sight of the angry burns scarring once immaculate flesh. The face, once held in such regard, would not be recognised by even the creature's deceased sire.

"That is why they are weak," The Demon continued, "there are things – dark crimes that even Lord Sesshomaru will not commit. But I have seen everything, suffered every imaginable torment and I am not afraid of becoming a monster." He punctuated his words by bringing the searing iron to his victim's unblemished cheek. And she screamed.

"NO! PLEASE! I beg of you! I did not realise – I did not know! I beg you, Master – Sire, _please_ – NO MORE!"

Hikireimaru sneered, twisting the blade spitefully before drawing back. He tossed the weapon carelessly aside, sickened by her begging and seized her by her (once glorious) now cropped hair. He yanked her head back hard and the female opened her mouth in a silent scream as he stared down at her. Though she could not stare back with blinded eyes…

"I could have lost _everything_ because of you! For the fickle jealousy of a meaningless bitch!" His grip at the back of her neck tightened and she winced. Seeing the movement, he sneered, dragging his claws through the weeping, infested wound at the base of her throat that hung open. "YOU THINK THIS IS PAIN LITTLE WHORE?" He screamed, and when she cried out, his assaulting hand reaching for her mouth, and clamping it shut. "Years I bled, and cried with no hope of relief. These mere months of abuse are _nothing_!"

Releasing her, he watched her sink to the floor, wiping her blood from his hands with a disgusted sneer. "You suffer as long as Touya's life hangs in the balance. You will be released from this pain when I hear she has recovered and not a moment before."

Circling the whimpering bitch, he surveyed her bloodied, mutilated body. "But what to do with you after this? Is it a swift death you deserve, the kind that Inuyasha and his softened mate would bestow? Or to return you to your 'loved ones' – to allow them to see their vain princess hideous, unsightly…"

Her body quivered as tears shook her, stinging her gaping wounds, and Hikireimaru's mouth turned up in a satisfied smirk. Leaning down to her he inhaled her agony, relished the pain of this bitch that nearly killed his…_everything_. All for a capricious craving to stand in the place of Inuyasha at Sesshomaru's side?

"It would be hard, hiding away…keeping your face to yourself, knowing that Inuyasha – a _half-demon_, glorious and beautiful stands at Lord Sesshomaru's side…" He swore he heard her gasp for breath through her tears and pressed on. "I have heard his belly is full again, of the seed you so _very_ wished to line your womb. Does it sting to think how beautiful their pups will be? And how you will never have _any_?"

With a final, shuddering cry, she tumbled to the floor, regardless of her wounds. Hikireimaru stood back, watching the quivering, bloody mess contort in this harsh reality, where everything burned. She reeked of pain, of stale blood, of rotting flesh, dried semen and urine. This was but a bitter reminder of what he had suffered centuries ago, and with each reminder, brought the satisfaction – the release of finally being able to take each torment out on another. He would be free of his torment by the time Touya was in his arms again, and this madness could finally end.

It was terrifying. In the last few years, he had watched everyone he loved ripped from his life – over and over again. He had discovered his worth and born his brother's child from his male body. Had been molested, all-but raped and humiliated, nearly lost everything all over again… But it was all nothing compared to this.

Darkness enveloped him. Something lurking in the nothingness buzzed through his skin. Fear. Unadulterated. Mind-numbing. He thought he was screaming, but no sound escaped him. He couldn't move. Silent and petrified, as if countless arms locked around his useless limbs, limbs that cracked forebodingly as he resisted the extreme force that shoved him to his hands and knees. He cried out but no sound came from his dry, bloodied lips. Moisture pooled around him on the ground he was forced to, his knees stung from the liquid, and Inuyasha winced in revulsion, turning his head away as his hair trailed in the unmistakeable smell of his own urine.

_Not again,_ he begged, his agonised body slumping forwards. _Not this again…_

A flash of dazzling silver light blinded him momentarily, before fading to a pale, oval luminescence high above him in the oblivion. The Half-demon shuddered uncontrollably as light, hair-raising touches ran over his exposed skin. Hair, fur, it was something like that. Nothing like the cool comfort of Sesshomaru's hands. Nothing like the sweltering softness of his Demon's fur.

His mouth opened to scream again, but again only silence came. Though as the unbearable itching traced every inch of flesh, a disturbing, piercing cry echoed in the distance, a single, bone-chilling noise. A child – no, _children_ screaming. _His_ children. Screaming for him, louder. The familiar wetness of tears streaked down his cheeks in his desperation to escape. Where were his pups? Where was Sesshomaru? He was being shaken now; a dull murmur of something humming in his ear, the soothing tones not enough to chase away the now deafening screams.

Something cold and wet settled against the bare skin of his backside, and he turned his head, the eerie light from above illuminating the outline of that all-too familiar face. Crimson blood stained the lips that turned up into a cruel smile, those hands that gripped his frozen hips. Inuyasha screamed silently again.

It was then that his neck was twisted spitefully down, hanging in shame within inches of his own waste. A rain of silver hair cascaded over his shoulders, tumbling into the filth, just as before. Tears stained his grimy cheeks and he winced, closing his eyes to the cropped silver tresses that shone with the light from above despite the fluids that engulfed them. A sharp jerk on his remaining hair yanked his head back, just as agony split him in half. He writhed but did not move. Screamed but made no sound. Inuyasha cried but could not feel the tears, anything but the unbearable wedge in his backside, ripping him open. He felt fresh blood seep down the backs of his thighs as the demon, the monster rode him, shaking his head roughly when he tried to close his eyes…

The childish screams they surrounded him. And he didn't know how he knew, but he _knew_ they were his pups, Tsukihime, and his other two…

And there they were, unnamed, unborn, ripped from his gaping stomach. Their unopened eyes and undeveloped bodies lay in the blood, the excrement before him, he could almost touch them if his limbs obeyed, but they betrayed him. Two, dead premature infants haunted his vision – _his_ children. Their screams shuddered against the invisible walls of his endless prison and he wished he could clamp his hands to his ears to shut them out. He wished he could out scream them, but their cries were all he heard, all that filled the void inside that the assaulting monster could not reach with his weapon.

The children's screams were deafening now. And somewhere amoungst them he could hear Tsukihime calling, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not call back. With gut-wrenching agony he tore himself free of his the invisible force, and spun on his heel, claws slicing through the chest of the demon raping his dying, tortured body. But the demon that collapsed into his chest, the demon whose blood stained his already tainted body, was no longer Hikireimaru. It was Sesshomaru. The wounded Demon Lord snarled spitefully, his claws elongating into five razor points before plunging into his chest. Inuyasha's eyes widened, as he watched the Demon's fade into a dull gold, those dead eyes stared up at him, and his embrace tightened around the larger frame uselessly. He could not tear his gaze away from those eyes, that mouth moving slowly, silently in shock.

The children called to him, screamed out their pain, their fear, and it overwhelmed him, it drowned him, like burning and freezing all at once. He clenched Sesshomaru's deceased form to him, hiding his tainted face in that breathless chest, begging for it all to go away. The light above was getting closer, brighter, _hotter_! A thousand imaginary needles pierced his flesh where the sweat, the filth and tears danced across it. And the screaming, it would not go away…

He bolted upright. That resonating scream still lingering in the air. It wasn't until breath raced back into his lungs as he tumbled back from the agonising abyss and into his bed, that he realised he was the one screaming.

The noise stopped upon his realisation. His heart raced, breath bringing no relief to his desperate chest – it felt like he'd forgotten how to breathe. The Half-demon stared at the peaceful obsidian sky through the shutters that stood open at the window of the far wall, still breathless, still panicked. The eerily beautiful light of the moon leered down at him from the midnight sky. _Was that the odd brightness in my dream? The moon?_ It still gave him the shivers to look at it now, but his breathing was finally calming down a little.

He was soaked through with sweat, shivering from the cold. Tracing the but slightly rounded shape of his belly (only visible as he was now, with his light yukata sticking to him) and inhaled shakily, fighting to regain breath. He blinked once, twice. Glancing over from where he lay on the daybed, he saw his brother at the desk, watching him over his interlocked fingers. He could feel the blood rushing to his half-demon cheeks as his mate stared at him.

"I wish I could stop these dreams from plaguing you…as if you did not have enough to deal with already," The Demon Lord whispered in the dimness, the ethereal glow from the fire offering a heavenly aura to his features as those intense golden pools fixed on him. Inuyasha closed his eyes, not missing the anxiety that lingered under the soothing tone of Sesshomaru's voice. He basked in it, breathing in his smell heavily, as deep into his lungs as it would go.

"Are you alright?" the Demon asked. Inuyasha nodded mutely before his sibling continued. "It was the same dream, was it not?"

The Half-demon sighed. _Figures he'd know,_ he thought, shifting awkwardly under the heavy concern in that gaze. _I'd probably given him a running commentary through the whole thing in my sleep._ "Keh, I've had a few nightmares before ya fretful little housewife," Inuyasha murmured, brushing him off in order to preserve the shred of vigour his shattered brother still clung to. "And I've been pregnant before too so don't feel the need to waste your time with me when there's a war to organise."  
Sesshomaru sighed, shoving the last of the signed papers aside.  
"Tis done, Little brother," he answered, exhaustedly, but with a mocking tone to his words as he patted the space on his desk before him. The Half-demon did not miss the smile in his voice, and the more he heard the warmth of his words, the farther away the dark place of his nightmare seemed to get. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, before approaching slowly. Sesshomaru smiled as he watched him move. "These will be sent out to the remaining allies and they will be on their way here within a few days. Once Hikireimaru discovers Tsukihime is on the mend, he will not delay before he attacks."

Inuyasha slid onto the desk before Sesshomaru, staring down at his mate with a frown creasing his brow. "Don't talk about that anymore. If it's done, and all we have to do is wait for them to get here, let's forget about it for now."  
"How can I allow myself a moments rest when my family is in danger?" Sesshomaru asked him, not meeting his eyes. The Half-demon leant back slightly, regarding his mate with a mixture of pity and longing. He'd been fussing over getting fat and sore nipples while his brother had been bearing this whole burden himself. It seemed he'd been a little selfish in his hormonal mood swings.

"Let me carry _you_ for a while," Inuyasha breathed, dipping down to allow his words to dust his brother's mouth. He felt Sesshomaru smile despite himself.  
"You should not bear such heavy things when you are pregnant," he teased. Inuyasha snorted.  
"You're as light as a feather compared to these two fat leeches you've stuffed in my stomach," he growled, seizing the back of his brother's hair and smashing their lips together. His tongue skated over his older sibling's parted lips, risking a tender lick of razor fangs before he drew back, his hazy eyes regarding the Demon before him.  
"Are you swooning, Little Brother?" Sesshomaru asked huskily. Inuyasha sat back, huffing indignantly.  
"Keh, you wish…" He breathed shakily, leaning back on one of his hands, and lazily brushing his yukata from his shoulders, exposing his body. The Demon watched him complacently, silent as stone, with his fingers still tightly interlocked.

"Come here," Inuyasha beckoned, the clawed hand not supporting his pregnant body tugging his mate's shoulder gently. When Sesshomaru didn't move the Half-demon inclined his head to the side submissively. "Please."  
"Takara said that the pups are dangerously small as it is for being two or more months along," Sesshomaru explained remotely, logically, "that we should be _careful_ with them. Too much physical activity could harm them, Inuyasha."

The Half-demon sighed, rolling his eyes and sliding his legs through the arms of Sesshomaru's chair, pulling him closer. "I'm not offering you sex, you horny mutt," he murmured softly, "I'm offering you solace."

The Demon exhaled slowly, his beautiful face betraying the signs of sleep depravation as he released his calm compose and allowed his forehead to drop forward to rest on his mate's swollen stomach. Those arms surrounded his sibling's body, supporting him as his nose and mouth traced the unusually small bump of a stomach. His pups thumped him gently back, and he smiled tiredly. "They are going to be a handful," he purred. Inuyasha smirked, stroking the silver tresses of the Demon's hair.  
"They're gunna be two feisty, foul-tempered boys like us," he joked, and Sesshomaru offered a feigned moan of negation, but Inuyasha felt those lips against his stomach turn up in a sly smirk.  
"And I shall love my foul-tempered pups just as I love my obnoxious mate."

Inuyasha growled playfully, raking his claws gently over the Demon Lord's back. But for some reason, he could not find the strength to release his hold on the Demon's clothing, on his warmth. Was this solace for Sesshomaru only? He sighed, without realising that the sound had escaped into the conscious world. Could he not offer his brother a single thing selflessly? Was he that selfish?

"Cease whatever needless paranoia your raging hormones are about to launch you into," Sesshomaru said suddenly, drawing back to consider his the young male's expression. Inuyasha averted his gaze, a shaky breath fluttering past his lips.  
"I just want to give you something you want, something to help you…_feel_ better," the Half-demon stammered, the latter of his words sounding so inane to his ears. "Something outside of sex…"

Sesshomaru smirked, the delicate point of his clawed forefinger pushing that chin up gently so that their gazes locked. "You are concerned the only thing you can offer to please me is intercourse, Little Brother?"  
"That's not what I meant," Inuyasha answered quickly, a flush dusting his cheeks. "I meant that…ah geez, forget it," he growled, irritated with the damn pride that prevented the words from forming correctly. Pulling his yukata back up and securing it around his shoulders, he approached the only open window, his footing still shaky from sleep.

Gazing out across the calm horizon, the Half-demon could not help but wonder what horrors lurked beyond this temporary tranquillity. The dream, it was so vile yet so vivid. Everything he held dear, gone…but what did it mean? The death of his pups was simply explained, he was secretly concerned for their unhealthily small size for their age, a feat that was undoubtedly caused by the stress pressing heavily on his shoulders. He had tried to brush off Sesshomaru, and Takara's concern for the unborn twins but beneath it, he was berating himself for it.

In the dream, Tsukihime was gone, but crying for him, like he knew she would if Hikreimaru got his filthy hands on her. And Sesshomaru? Did it mean anything that it was by his own hand that his mate had perished in the dream? Or that his brother had cut into him with the claws that so tenderly stroked him mere moments ago? Was he merely shaken from seeing those eyes he had come to adore staring into him, their fire extinguished by death? Or was he more traumatized to know it was a death Sesshomaru clearly already expected to occur…

_He thinks he is going to die for me in this battle,_ Inuyasha thought, staring down thoughtfully at the two figures in the summer garden, wrapped around each other innocently under the moonlight. _He once said he would not let me die, does he think that I'm that weak that I will allow __**him**__ to die?_ He was nearly angry now, his hormones carrying him from one extreme to the other, but he jumped as two arms wrapped around him carefully.

Sesshomaru offered a swift, peace-offering of a lick across the mark adorning his throat, and he relaxed into the embrace, conceding the emotional battle before it could escalate. "You should really tell those two that you know, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha said at last, changing the subject as he stared down at the demon and the human far below. "It's not fair to leave Kazu terrified for his life." He felt the Demon Lord smirk against him.  
"A little fear never did the boy any harm. I will reveal my knowledge of their intentions to join soon enough."  
"You really are a demon," Inuyasha almost laughed, relieved at the light-hearted air to his mate's voice. Perhaps his brother would take his advice now? And enjoy their final slice of peace before the allies arrived, and war ensued.

"How is my little 'Hime fairing?" Sesshomaru asked and Inuyasha sighed heavily.  
"She's alright…she's been up and about the last few days anyway, albeit weakly." He slumped a little in his mate's embrace and a light shiver caressed his spine as Sesshomaru's claws traced the back of his neck softly.  
"She is stubborn like you, she will be as well as ever and hanging off your haori sleeve before the week is out," the Demon assured him. Inuyasha laughed softly, and Sesshomaru frowned at the half-hearted noise. "You are worried, Inuyasha – for the pups?" His clawed fingers traced the swell of his mate's stomach as he spoke, and Inuyasha sighed exasperatedly.  
"For you, you idiot," he spat darkly, turning in the Demon's embrace to stare up at him with doe eyes. "You've just accepted it like it's an inevitability – that you're gonna die…and it's _killing_ me!"

Sesshomaru's eyes widened in surprise, taken aback by the sincere anxiety in glassy eyes, and his hands caught those shoulders, gently squeezing. He licked his lips slowly before daring to answer. "Inuyasha," he breathed, "What you have to understand about that is-"  
"Lord Sesshomaru?" The distant call sounded from the hall before the door flew open and Nannami stumbled in, breathless.

"What is the matter?" the Demon asked, startled by raging anxiety. She shook her head, struggling for air and enough poise to form words.  
"D-Downstairs! At the gates! They say it is urgent! We don't know who they are but they are all-but breaking the gates down!" Nannami gasped, and the siblings turned to consider each other a moment.  
"I'm going down with you," Inuyasha growled before Sesshomaru could forbid anything, and sure enough the Demon seemed to stiffen.  
"There is no time-"  
"-I'm _going_ with you," Inuyasha insisted.

Sesshomaru had fully anticipated his condition of carrying his pregnant brother would be enough to dissuade Inuyasha from coming. It was a credit to how stubborn (or worried) Inuyasha was that the Half-demon had grudgingly accepted. The stairs were a blur, and the younger man remained still, until they crossed the threshold of the main door. Sesshomaru dropped his mate to his feet impatiently, dragging him through the door. And he saw then, why Inuyasha had been reluctant to continue out into the front courtyard.

Inuyasha shifted nervously beside him, hiding half of his body behind him awkwardly. Hundreds of bodies filled the courtyard, staring up at them – _both_ of them with oddly respectful eyes. Sesshomaru side-stepped, forcing his sibling to stand fully beside him, but brushed the back of his hand gently over Inuyasha's when he felt the Half-demon's hard exterior faltering.

"You let them past the gates without my word?" Sesshomaru growled out never tearing his gaze from the few falling from rank and ascending the stairs slowly to meet them.  
"My Lord," Takara answered, inclining his head apologetically. "Forgive me but they are-"  
"Do not assume, we do not know who we can trust in times such as these," Sesshomaru cut across him, accepting his servant's silent apology as the guests approaching stopped a few steps down, bowing respectfully. Inuyasha winced, turning his head away uncomfortably, even as his brother squeezed his hand softly.

"Inuyasha, you have been carrying that load for a while – ain't ya popped yet?"  
Inuyasha sneered, his gaze snapping to the demon now rising from his bow, and meeting his eyes challengingly.  
"I had that pup," Inuyasha growled out at the demon's taunting, "You know damn well this is another – you were at Tsukihime's blessing ceremony, ya Mangy wolf!"  
Kouga smirked (the same cocksure, devious grin as Inuyasha remembered) and stepped forward, obeying the warning growl from Sesshomaru when he got too close, and drew back.

"You had a daughter?"

Inuyasha finally raised his eyes to meet the gaze of the obsidian-haired woman beside Kouga. He wrapped his arms around his stomach awkwardly, finding it oddly hard to stand still as she approached.  
"Tsukihime, it's such a pretty name – we heard of course, but we hoped we'd get to see how you were fairing after, the birth must have been so hard on you…" The Human trailed off from her polite, concerned ramblings, her eyes glazing over slightly. Sesshomaru's every muscle tightened in apprehension of Inuyasha's reaction. The woman dropped the two toddlers she was carrying to their feet beside their older sister, before bolting up the stairs to wrap herself around Inuyasha.

Inuyasha stumbled a little, although retained his feet, before he wrapped his arms around the human female, returning the welcomed embrace awkwardly. "I missed you guys," he sighed, breathing in their scents. Sango nodded in his arms, offering him a final, comforting squeeze before drawing back to look at him.  
"Us too, and look at you," she said warmly, tears gathering in her happy eyes. "Pregnant again? You and Sesshomaru must have good natural instincts."

Flushing a little, the Half-demon nodded, his gaze flicking to Sesshomaru briefly before looking back to Sango. "Tsukihime is perfect. We're in for problems this time though – these two already seem to be much more trouble than she was-"  
"Twins?" The Human gasped and Inuyasha's smile widened as he nodded.  
"Alas, Sango," came a voice from behind the Demon Slayer, and Inuyasha rolled his eyes as the voice, feigning innocence continued. "I fear I must take you to the marriage bed again – we cannot allow our good friend Inuyasha the chance to out-do us on children after all."  
"Three is plenty for you until this war is over," Sango chided her husband. Miroku came to stand next to her, both of his hand wrapped around his children's smaller ones as his older daughter clung to her mother's side.  
"How about you, Inuyasha?" the Monk teased, winking as his lecherous hand left his son's to grope the Half-demon's rounded belly. Inuyasha snarled in embarrassment, leaping back as he swatted the Monk's hand away.  
"Another remark such as that from you, Monk and I will personally have you made a eunuch," Sesshomaru warned stoically.  
"Please, _do_," Sango implored him.

Miroku hesitantly smiled, laughing nervously to signal it was a joke, but that warning look never dropped from the Demon's face, and had his face not been glowing beet-red with embarrassment, Inuyasha would have laughed. There was a long, silent moment then. Miroku shifted awkwardly under the weight of the Demon Lord's gaze, Sango's eyes drifted from Inuyasha to his mate constantly and the demons and humans alike aligned in battle ranks below, waited. And waited.

Suddenly, Kouga cleared his throat, approaching Sesshomaru with wary confidence. "It's no secret of what's happening in your lands, Lord Sesshomaru," the Wolf said respectfully, "that half-demon killer that attacked old Kaede's village has been recruiting demons and humans alike all over the continent. He's kept to himself, but his bounty hunters' attempts at stealing your daughter, they are no secret." At this point, Kouga paused, meeting Inuyasha's eyes with what the Half-demon could only assume was sympathy, before continuing. "There is outright war against the Western Lands for the life of a little girl and we've decided what side we're on."

With those words, the wolves, the demons, the humans, the _half-demons_ below dropped to their knees in unision, bowing their heads respectfully to the brothers. Kouga followed their movements, and this time remained on his knees, waiting for either of the siblings to speak.

Inuyasha's eyes widened, and he stepped back, overwhelmed by the gesture, the gesture of man, demon and half-demon alike, all bowed at the same level, to the same people. He blinked hard, trying to ignore his brother's heavy gaze on him.

"We are grateful for your allegiance," Sesshomaru said, breaking the silence. "My advisor, Takara will see that you and your families are well catered for within the castle walls until war dawns." He punctuated his words by nodding to Takara who understood the gesture, beginning to usher the new allies into the castle. Inuyasha stepped aside to allow them to pass, finding Sango at his side.

"I'll make sure you guys and your kids get the best rooms," Inuyasha assured her awkwardly, and Sango smiled at his light blush.  
"Inuyasha…could we talk – now?" The Demon Slayer asked. Inuyasha frowned, glancing to where Sesshomaru stood a few feet away, talking to Kouga and Nannami, and without tearing his eyes from his mate, the Half-demon nodded, leading his mortal friend through to the private summer garden. The Garden that remained his favourite gift from his brother, even after all these years…

Sesshomaru watched his brother slip away out of the corner of his eye, his heart plummeting, though retained his calm composure as his gaze fixed upon the wolf and his make-shift mother.  
"Inuyasha just wants to catch up with his old friend, Lord Sesshomaru," Nannami murmured softly in his ear knowingly. Sesshomaru said nothing. If this demoness only knew the real reason for his uncharacteristic heartache, perhaps he could find some peace, knowing someone understood his inner dilemma.

He was not jealous of Inuyasha's friendship with the Slayer, he was jealous of who would inevitably hold Inuyasha's body, see his smiles, of who would hold _his_ children once he was gone…

"…believe we have but a few short days, My Lord," Kouga continued, his words finally registering in the distracted Demon Lord's ears. "I think a week, and then Hikireimaru will meet us in battle."  
"Indeed, enough time to call the remaining allies and prepare ourselves," Sesshomaru answered frostily. He did not betray his inner chaos, did not so much as allow his muscles to twitch, even as Nannami placed a concerned hand on his shoulder.  
"And with both Takara and I there together – an Elemental pair, it will benefit our chances even more," She assured him. Sesshomaru just nodded, and the elemental and the wolf looked at eachother in confusion. Seeing their deductions all over their faces, the Demon Lord pulled away from her gently.

"You and Takara must send our swiftest messengers out to every ally before the night is out," the Demon stated, "Time is of the essence, I want to have everyone gathered here within the next three days to ensure we have chance to prepare." It took the Demoness a moment to realise he was dismissing her and she tugged Kouga's arm softly, leading him through the doors as the last of his followers were passing through.

Sesshomaru tipped his head skyward, relishing in the feel of the clean, empty space around him, untainted by another's breath, but also devoid of his mate's presence…

His thoughts drifted, to where Inuyasha was sitting with his slayer friend, talking of past times…of that priestess. It was fanciful to imagine that even after all this time, Inuyasha would have simply forgotten her – he should have known better. And now he, Sesshomaru was about to hurl himself into the abyss, and leave his mate and family behind, was it not reasonable that the Half-demon would want to find her again? He growled softly under his breath, hating his selfishness. With him long gone, he did not want to think of Inuyasha dwelling alone with their pups in this world, he deserved…_needed_ someone. And while he loathed the wench for stealing Inuyasha's heart away with her, Sesshomaru could not help but understand that she would be the one to take care of him, to make Inuyasha smile the way he would not be able to do after the battle ended…

With painful comprehension hanging heavy in his dwindling heart, the Demon Lord sighed, walking slowly after his brother's scent, not even sure what to say once he found him.

The blossoming vines curled around the arbour snugly, reaching for the darkening sky and its shining decorations. The heavens were clear as Inuyasha lowered himself uneasily to the seating that stretched out beneath the arbour, his Slayer friend smiling warmly upon taking a seat beside him, giving him the personal space she knew he'd desire. Indeed, she had not forgotten the Half-demon's habitual need for physical distance…

Inuyasha sighed, sitting back against the wooden arch, and stared up at the glistening sky as he patted his busy belly-full of pups – the brats were uneasy…they could feel Sesshomaru's agony as well as he. But what was bothering him? He hadn't been gone a few minutes…

"So…" the Half-demon began agitatedly, his mind still on his sibling. "Kyou and Kuri – they've grown up really well – and Akane, she's beautiful, she's just like you." He watched Sango smile out of the corner of his eye, but the Slayer seemed somewhat…distracted… "How's Miroku deal with the little village boys playing with his little girl?" he asked teasingly, forcing a small laugh.  
"Ah, he gives them fair warning," she answered, her delicate lips bearing a distant smile, "In the village it seems so odd that war is imminent, it is always so peaceful, so cut off from the chaos… Sesshomaru protects our modest home well, I had not expected him to be so-"  
"-Attentive?" Before the word had even finished passing his lips, he knew had revealed too much, and the Demon Slayer raised a suspicious brow.  
"Generous," she finished, still watching him with suspicion, and Inuyasha shifted his rounded stomach anxiously, avoiding her knowing gaze.

"Inuyasha," she hummed gently, her features softening into a concerned affection. He raised his head cautiously, like a puppy about to be beaten, and flinched unwittingly when she made to rest a hand on his shoulder. She smiled warmly, letting the hand fall to land over his on the bench between them instead, squeezing his fingers tenderly. He frowned; he knew she was revolted by his obvious affection for his brother. It had been ok when they were only together for the pup, but now…he could not expect such understanding from his human friend.

"Inuyasha," she said again, this time holding his gaze. "How is your life here?"  
Inuyasha shrugged.  
"It's okay," he answered hesitantly, shrugging, "Better than okay, it's…" He trailed off with a sigh. How could he come right out and say it so plainly when he had spent the last three years unable to admit it even to himself? That hand settled on his shoulder carefully, and he did not shy away this time. He no longer felt disgusted with himself, but he was afraid of the repulsion one of his closest friends might show now that she knew he was no longer 'forced' here by circumstance.

"It's a good life here," he admitted at last, not permitting himself to be a coward and look away from her eyes. "I've got my daughter, and soon these little terrors," he gestured to his stomach, "I have to take care of Rin and Kazuki, and I share a lot of Sesshomaru's responsibilities (when I'm not stuffed with his kids anyway)…" He paused, catching his lip between his fangs as he struggled to say what the Slayer, no doubt, was really waiting to hear. "It's safe, and…I feel like I belong here. This feels like my home and I'm…happy here, Sango."

The Demon Slayer's eyes sparkled lightly with a glistening sheen of moisture that clung to the hazel depths. She smiled, blinking back the tears and brushed an imaginary tendril of hair behind her ear to distract him from their presence. "I know you loved her, so much, Inuyasha," Sango said, her voice slightly choked by emotion, "but I'm so glad that you managed to get over her, to find a way to live without her again, even after she touched your life – made it that much brighter. I am happy you could pass the place where there was nothing left the world could offer you to take the emptiness she left behind away…"

Inuyasha shook his head, defiantly _not_ crying at the memory of his priestess. His head hung limply from his shoulders, determinedly not looking at his friend.

"I am happy, because she would have wanted for you to be happy," she finished, her voice betraying her emotion. Inuyasha cleared his throat awkwardly.  
"What makes you say I got over her?" he asked defensively, hoping to brush off her sincerity with his trademark impertinence, but she merely smiled softly.  
"You're in love with Sesshomaru."  
Inuyasha flushed, and the Demon Slayer immediately leapt back in to cut off his temper before it flared with embarrassment. Inuyasha had never been fond of discussing his feelings or his personal life with Kikyo and Kagome, and certainly not now with something much more complicated…with Sesshomaru…

"It's ok," she said quickly, and he blinked in surprise, as if expecting her to scorn him. "I understand a lot about demon traditions – _your_ traditions. I can see you love him. The way you look at each other, the way you _move_ around him…" She paused, stumbling over her words as if she was struggling to find a sentence adequate enough. "I'm only a human, but even I can feel it – there's this _intensity_ between you, like the space between you is fragile, and any minute it might give way and you'll just fall into each other… I've never seen it before. Perhaps…" She stopped again, her eyes shining in the dimness, and Inuyasha felt his insides tying themselves in knots around his unborn children. Once again he had shamefully underestimated his friends, and once again they had pulled through, supported him through it all. _I should have known better,_ he thought, smiling absently as she continued at last after her final thoughtful pause.

"Perhaps I am wrong but, it feels like you are two sides of the same coin. Two faces that need each other to form the whole."

Inuyasha listened to her musings quietly, his lips turned up at the sides in the slightest of smiles. The early evening breeze whisked through his garden, bringing with it several familiar scents, though the closer of which barely registered in his mind before the source tumbled through the bushes toward him.

"Inupapa!" Tsukihime called, beaming as Inuyasha opened his arms and scooped her up into what was left of his lap. She cooed softly, rubbing her face against the underside of his chin until he subsided to her wishes (all too willingly) and ran his claws through her silver tresses.  
"Sorry, Lord Inuyasha," Kazuki apologised, he and Rin stepping out into view, out of breath (evidently having chased the toddler through the castle). Inuyasha smiled knowingly, settling his pup (still greedy for his attention) in his lap before answering.  
"Don't worry. Sesshomaru and I have neglected her a bit today anyway, thanks – you two can go have some time to yourself now. I'll take her from here." He heard the suggestiveness in his tone, even Sango heard it, and raised a brow at the two teens. Kazuki cleared his throat (in a very _Inuyasha-like_ gesture) and Rin flushed. They both bowed before swiftly disappearing from view.

Inuyasha sighed softly. He was glad that Kazuki had recovered from Shigehira's cruelty enough to find comfort in romantic relationships again, and even more pleased that it was with someone as worthy and special as Rin. Moreover, the little human girl he had come to adore was now secretly betrothed to a demon who, as well as love and care, offered her the prolonged demonic lifespan they all possessed. _And me and Sesshomaru won't have to watch her grow old before __**we**__ do,_ he thought, bouncing his daughter, gently until she giggled. The noise drew him from his pensiveness, to where Sango was awaiting an introduction to his shy pup.

"Sango, this is Tsukihime," Inuyasha said, the little girl's fingers wrapped into tight fists around each of his forefingers. The Demon Slayer smiled.  
"Hello there, Lady Tsukihime," she murmured softly. The infant whined shyly to Inuyasha, looking between her papa and the Slayer briefly before bowing her head politely (the way Rin had taught her) and tucking her head bashfully into the Half-demon's chest.

Sango laughed quietly, and Inuyasha beamed. "Sorry," he said, "she's only trusted with a few people so strangers make her uneasy."  
"Ah, no, of course – what with-" She stopped before she said the name in front of the toddler, "_him_ lurking in every corner, it's only natural. I'm sure she feels the unease. But my, Inuyasha, she's the spitting image of Sesshomaru!"

The Half-demon nodded, petting his daughter's ears soothingly (the way he liked his stroked) as she bravely turned her head to rest on his collarbone, watching Sango closely, as if deciding if she was safe or not. "Yeah, I'm glad, she's all the better for it," he agreed. Again, that knowing smile graced his friend's lips, and he felt a little uncomfortable. He had forgotten how perceptive his most trusted female friend had been…

But then, she gave a soft chuckle, and he felt the anxiety subside slightly. "I just can't imagine either of you spoiling a pretty little girl," she admitted. Inuyasha laughed this time.  
"If this shocks you, you should see how Sesshomaru indulges _me_!"

Sesshomaru followed the stale path of his mate's steps. He had not been able to trace them immediately – how could he face Inuyasha with his very _core_ reeking with the misery he so desperately wished to drown. The Half-demon would never agree to his plan if he possessed an ounce of guilt, and more importantly, he refused to be pitied. _Such revolting, this pathetic paranoia,_ Sesshomaru thought, moving deliberately slow, taking the long way through the furthermost corner of the gardens. _How dare he possess me to such an extent that all I think of, all I __**breathe**__ is him?_

His tempestuous thoughts rushed his mind, dwindling on the line between distress and anger, before tumbling back over to the less furious, self-loathing side. He paused over the small bridge that spanned the width of the slender stream. His claws knotted into the wood, as he stared uselessly down into the glistening shallow water. How he wished he could've lived to see the two new pups his mate carried – they seemed so alive already, fighting to get out from day one. Both of the determined, feisty little lives that grew steadily inside, he wondered idly if they'd look more like Inuyasha this time…

Long, slender fingers drifted to his hip where he rubbed they ghosted over his mark pensively. He'd foolishly hoped that things could simply continue the way they were. He had irrationally desired to be the exception to their 'family curse'. Sesshomaru had never been afraid of death; he had possessed no reason to fear it. He was insurmountable, unconquerable, but since his brother had stumbled back into his world three years ago, he had fallen. His might, his compose, his iron exterior had crumbled under the gaze of doe eyes – conquered by his baby brother. And yet, these years he had lived under his sibling's unwitting spell, had been the best of his long life.

Tipping his gaze skyward, the moonlight flooded his pale skin. He had lost the simple, cold compose, the being he once was to something so much more complicated, and alive. He had never been so shamefully afraid since he had seen Nannami lying broken for saving his life, all those years ago – where his childhood innocence died. He had never been so bemused by the unfairness of his existence, and he could not understand why his heart ached with the knowledge of what must be done – why it was so broken.

_After all the heartache and trouble he has inadvertently caused…after all this time,_ the Demon thought, confused by the notion, _he seems more precious than ever before._

Suddenly, quiet, careless giggles he knew all too well reached his ears. Sesshomaru drifted back from his reverie and crossed the bridge towards Inuyasha's scent, but instead of continuing along the path, he paused at the place where the soft endearments had silenced with his approach. The small, almost invisible mouth of the private sector opened up to a nook adorned with summer flowers, where his two wards sat. Rin's cheeks were ablaze with embarrassment as she met his raised brow meekly, while Kazuki avoided looking at him altogether.

The Human girl had pulled her kimono back up swiftly upon hearing her Lord's approach, but it had not been arranged again in its usual, neat folds, and Sesshomaru knew what he had stumbled in on. He stared at them thoughtfully for a moment. Until then, he had not realised how much they had both grown. And he turned away slowly.

"Wait!" Kazuki called him, "Wait, please, Lord Sesshomaru?"

The Demon Lord stopped, but did not turn to face them again; the emotions still surging from his earlier thoughts were still too clearly imprinted on his features. "Yes, Kazuki?"  
"I…" The boy faltered, chewing his lip nervously as he stumbled over his words, "I would like to…to request your permission – to take Rin as my mate."

His voice, so different to the one he had first greeted him with three years ago, reverted briefly back to its fumbling, boyishness in that brief sentence, and Sesshomaru could not help the smile that flickered at the corners of his mouth at the sound of it. This boy had grown so much since that day indeed, as had Rin…

"You are both sure of this I trust?" The Demon Lord asked stoically.  
"Of Course-"  
"-Yes, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin answered, cutting across her fiancé. "More than anything." Her tone was imploring, as if she did not know what to expect in answer.  
"Then I will arrange to have the ceremony occur before the allies arrive and disrupt our home," Sesshomaru replied simply, "you have my blessing." He left them then, sensing the smile at his Wards' lips. His words had been distant as ever, but he knew that they understood what he had meant by it, especially the little girl he had cared for for so long.

Rounding the ornate greenery, he stumbled into the scent of his mate once more, and stopped in his tracks at the flicker of silver that caught his eye from between the shrubberies. A sigh tumbled from his lips. He knew he could not avoid this forever, though he may wish to. Eventually gaining control enough over his reluctant limbs, he followed the path around (deliberately slow) and approached Inuyasha.

He had come to accept his fate long ago, yet now with it all upon him, staring the end of this bliss in the face, he could not bear to let go. Inuyasha inclined his head towards him upon hearing his approach. The Demon kept walking, knowing that if he paused, he would lose his nerve – something he had never done before, and was adamant it would be one of the few things he would not be reduced to, even for Inuyasha.

"Slayer, I would ask you to give me a moment with my brother," he said plainly once he reached them. Both the human and Inuyasha got to their feet.  
"Of course," Sango answered, and Inuyasha smiled at her.  
"If you head to the main hall, tell Takara I said you, Miroku and the kids are to have the best guest room," Inuyasha said, rousing an amused smirk from his friend.  
"You've definitely changed, Inuyasha," she replied, offering a respectful bow to the Demon Lord, before departing the way Sesshomaru had come, leaving the siblings alone (except for their slumbering, oblivious daughter).

"You've been anxious," The Half-demon stated simply, breaking the uneasy silence that had settled between them. "I sensed it."  
"Do not be ridiculous," the older sibling retorted, a little too quickly. "This Sesshomaru does not suffer such pitiable emotions-"  
"-Cut the crap, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha interrupted him, a scowl twisting his expression. And the small gesture to his neck was all the reminder his older sibling needed to remind him just who he was trying to fool. "It works both ways."

Sesshomaru, nodded apologetically. Was he making this much of a fool of himself because of his numerous concerns, his exhaustion? He must have been thinking longer than he thought because Inuyasha was approaching him, spanning the gap between them slowly as his scowl slid into a softer expression.

"Are you sure you're okay? You're not acting yourself."

How apt his brother had become. The others might fall for the mask, the façade he presented to the world, but he was ashamed to admit that to Inuyasha, that pretence had become almost transparent.

"Sesshomaru?"

That voice summoned him back again, and he snapped from his thoughts in time to see Inuyasha leaning up awkwardly on his toes to press their lips together. He did not react, he could not despite how he wished to ravage the petal-soft mouth that moved over his own. His jaw set, and he watched the Half-demon draw back, almost hurt. But he could not release his tense muscles, if he did, he would lose his composure…

"You're acting strange. You're tired," Inuyasha stated, though his voice was uneasy, questioning. Had he done something wrong? "Why don't we go upstairs and get to bed?" Again his older Brother did not react, and he shifted the still sleeping pup in his embrace as he moved closer, desperate now to get some sort of reaction from Sesshomaru. "We can put Tsukihime to bed and maybe take a bath? I could wash you if you wanted – you like that."

The unbearable tightness in Sesshomaru's chest only intensified as those eyes stared up at him, almost beseeching. Inuyasha was trying so hard to please him, and it was making it that much harder – _too_ hard!

"A long time ago," the Demon Lord began stoically, his voice whispering into the night air at last. "I begged you not to ask me to take you to…_her_." He watched Inuyasha frown again, his ears slicking back into his hair.  
"I remember," the Half-demon answered warily.  
"But I realise now the selfishness in that action – to prey on your unfathomable conscience was a cruel trick to get you to stay-"  
"-It wasn't like that," Inuyasha cut across him indignantly. What was going on? He knew Sesshomaru was overworked, tired, worried, _afraid_ even, but he was not at all himself and for a demon who prided himself on hiding his inner turmoil, that was worrying. The Demon Lord was slipping before his eyes. Inuyasha caught his lip between his fangs as he stared up at his brother. Was he truly so ashamed of being afraid? Or was it that he was just some unaccustomed to it that it was startling him more than it should have?

"It wasn't like that," Inuyasha repeated tentatively, "You just jumped to the wrong conclusion-"  
"-I will perish in this battle, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru cut across him, his voice more empty and icy than it had ever been, and it sent a shiver down the Half-demon's spine. It chilled him to hear him speak of his demise so easily – so _acceptingly_. There was no hope, no faith, no _emotion_ in his voice at all.

"And I realise," the Demon continued, "how wrong it is to leave you alone with the pups. In consequence, when the time comes, when the battle draws near, I will take you and Tsukihime to your priestess's time, where you can be safe from this battle, even when I fall. And you can be with _Kagome_ again." His frosty casualness stunned even himself, especially since his insides, his heart was burning with an all-consuming agony. He straightened up despite himself, his gaze lingering over his shocked mate, and their sleeping daughter still in his embrace.

Inuyasha's eyes were wide with shock. A lump had ascended, lodging somewhere in his windpipe as an incredible pressure built in his chest. Glassiness pricked his eyes and his mouth moved occasionally – unsuccessfully attempting speech. The arms around his daughter tensed slightly, and he could have sworn his mark was itching. He blinked silently, his mind stunned, still staggering at those words that seemed to be revolving constantly around his now aching head. And there he stood, beneath his mate's intense gaze, unable to form a single sound for a long time…

_~To Be Continued..._


	36. Crimson Bonds

**Chapter Thirty-Six  
Crimson Bonds**

_"…In consequence, when the time comes, when the battle draws near, I will take you and Tsukihime to your priestess's time, where you can be safe from this battle, even when I fall. And you can be with_ Kagome _again." His frosty casualness stunned even himself, especially since his insides, his heart was burning with an all-consuming agony. He straightened up despite himself, his gaze lingering over his shocked mate, and their sleeping daughter still in his embrace._

_Inuyasha's eyes were wide with shock. A lump had ascended, lodging somewhere in his windpipe as an incredible pressure built in his chest. Glassiness pricked his eyes and his mouth moved occasionally - unsuccessfully attempting speech. The arms around his daughter tensed slightly, and he could have sworn his mark was itching. He blinked silently, his mind stunned, still staggering at those words that seemed to be revolving constantly around his now aching head. And there he stood, beneath his mate's intense gaze, unable to form a single sound for a long time…_

After an age, Inuyasha shook his head slightly, dislodging the knot in his throat preventing him from drawing breath and responding. The words seemed wedged in his chest somewhere, suffocating his confused heart. He raised his glassy gaze to the Demon watching him expectantly. "No," he answered brokenly. Sesshomaru stiffened, but otherwise his façade did not falter.  
"You can do so much better than a foolish demon whose life will be spent by the dusk of battle," Sesshomaru answered bitterly, "I will not allow you to stay here and pity me, _mourn_ me alone when you can be happy - with her. Have the life you always wanted-"

SMACK!

Sesshomaru flinched at the unexpected blow against his cheek, and stared with shocked eyes at the seething Half-demon, who was lowering his now trembling hand.  
"Don't you dare tell me what I want to do!" Inuyasha spat. "My life with you means everything! I won't let you give it up so easily!"  
"You think this is easy for me? Letting you go to her? Raise our pups with her? Live your precious life with _her_? It is the hardest thing I have ever done."  
"Then don't make me go! I don't want to run away and let you die alone-"  
"-I will not let you fall with me-"  
"-Why does _anyone_ have to fall? Who says anyone has to die?"  
"The past indicates-"  
"NOTHING!" Inuyasha screamed, involuntarily awakening his daughter in his grasp with a jerk. "You aren't our father! You're gunna live forever! I won't let you die!" Moisture gathered in his golden eyes, threatening to trail treacherously down his cheeks in anger. "How can you just roll over and accept it? Do you care about our life so little you won't even hold out the slightest hope - won't even _try_ to hang onto it?"

Sesshomaru lowered his gaze and Inuyasha growled under his breath, his fangs catching his lower lip, daring the Demon to meet his eyes. Tsukihime stared between them, confused at the betrayal and fury tumbling off them in waves. "Inupapa-?"  
Inuyasha raised his hand, gently stroking his daughter's nose to silence her.  
"Your attitude is messed up," the Half-demon pressed on, "How can you ever defeat this so-called `curse' if you're this determined it will come true?"

Sesshomaru raised his eyes at that, though his stoic expression did not waver. His gaze wandered self-loathing over his daughter, (who was watching him with glassy orbs) but he could not reply.  
"You really think," Inuyasha began, "That I will be able to move on with Kagome and forget about you as easily at that…" He shook his head, mentally cringing at the thought. "Is your opinion of me really that low, that you think I could forsake you so simply? I can't just throw you away!"

Suddenly, Sesshomaru's eyes glistened, and before the moisture could be betrayed he lunged forwards, ensnaring his resisting mate and wrapping his arms around him hungrily. Tilting his head to the Half-demon's cheek, he inhaled him deeply, as if he had been starved of the scent for decades. "Whatever happens, do not regret your words," the Demon Lord murmured, rubbing his cheek against Inuyasha's. The Half-demon sighed as Sesshomaru drew back, butting noses before their lips slid together slowly. Tsukihime chewed the sucker in her mouth and stared up at her parent's quietly, settled in the safety and comfort that emanated from their interlocked bodies and the way they embraced around her.

Lips melded together, and Inuyasha gasped for breath before he was attacked with a desperate kiss. The passion-dazed Half-demon fell back from the kiss, and his brother's hand slid around what remained of his waist, easing him back onto the seating he had moments before taken up with Sango. The Demon breathed deeply, deliberately slow as long fingers stroked through his mate's hair softly, while the other patted Tsukihime's head. He smirked when her ears slid back in bliss.

With a relieved sigh of contentment escaping him, Inuyasha leant into his brother's shoulder, closing his eyes thoughtfully. "I love this garden," he said dazedly, flushing when he realised his words. Sesshomaru smirked, the arm around that pregnant body squeezing a little more.  
"It has remained your favourite present all these years," the Demon acknowledged.  
"Second-favourite," Inuyasha corrected sheepishly, as if he did not truly desire his sibling to hear his words. "I think I got something a lot more important," he elaborated awkwardly, gesturing to his stomach and the girl laying across it sleepily.  
Sesshomaru smirked and the younger Brother's blush only intensified. Though feeling the generous older sibling tonight, Sesshomaru did not prey on this delicious embarrassment. Instead getting to his feet gracefully, he felt all of the anxiety and misery dissipated with Inuyasha's refusal to leave him.

_I can't just throw you away!_

Sesshomaru smiled absently, the sureness of his demise fading away a little more with each moment. "Why do we not put this imp to bed together," the Demon suggested, bringing their daughter up into his arms when she reached for him. "And then perhaps we shall take that bath you suggested?" His final words were punctuated with that familiar, scheming huskiness, and Inuyasha felt the pressure in his chest lighten a little at the sound of it.

The Demon Lord smiled, laying a breeze of a kiss to his daughter's forehead, before drawing back. The girl sighed, staring up at him almost petulantly. "You look like Inuyasha when you make that expression," Sesshomaru intoned, running a clawed finger gently down the girl's face. She smiled up at him, before offering a wide yawn.  
"Will you and Inupapa and the puppies in his tummy be alright?" She asked sleepily, and Sesshomaru tensed for a moment, thinking carefully before giving an answer.  
"You understand far more than I give you credit for, do you not, Little `Hime?"  
She did not answer, but instead nodded quietly into her sheets.

"One day you will understand all of this," Sesshomaru continued, "but all I can tell you now is that I _promise_ you, your Inupapa and your siblings will be just fine, I won't let anything happen to them."  
Tsukihime looked thoughtful for a moment, gnawing her sucker as she stared up at him with wide, amber eyes.  
"And you, Father, you will be okay too?"  
Sesshomaru nodded.  
"I will try to be, Tsukihime."  
She beamed, holding her arms out to him for another cuddle. The once-stoic Demon Lord permitted a small smile to tweak at the corners of his mouth, before he leant down to embrace her.  
"I love you, `Hime," he purred almost inaudibly into her soft curls of silver hair, surprised at how easily the words he once reviled escaped him now. The little arms around his shoulders tightened slightly as if frightened that the sudden confession was a goodbye. And something inside him feared that also.  
"Love you, Papa," she answered, "I know you will be okay, and keep us safe - You are a super demon!"

Sesshomaru's smirk broadened at her words, and he drew back, heading over to the door slowly. Pausing on the threshold, he turned to face the precious infant under the covers. "Goodnight, Tsukihime," he murmured softly, before closing the door, leaving her to her oncoming sleep and heading into the chambers across the hall.

As soon as he opened the door, the scent of oils overwhelmed him. Sesshomaru frowned, shutting the door behind him before walking further into his and Inuyasha's chambers. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen. The bed was untouched. Yet the smells of cherry blossoms, bath oils and burning candles whisked into his nostrils. Following the luscious smells, he moved through to the washroom, where he found Inuyasha.

The Half-demon, who was perched on the corner of the sunken bath, turned slightly as he entered, smiling awkwardly. "Took your time," Inuyasha teased in the midst of tying his hair up off his neck, "Did Tsukihime settle down okay?"  
"I appeased her worries concerning our _`conversation'_ earlier this evening; I believe she was not harmed by it. Her eyes were closing before I had even shut the door."  
"That's good," Inuyasha replied distantly, finishing tying up his hair and stumbling to his feet clumsily. Sesshomaru (who had been poised to surge forwards to catch the faltering half-demon) straightened up, arching a brow in confusion when a very naked Inuyasha paused before him.

A soft exhale tumbled from his lips as he stared up at Sesshomaru, and before he lost his nerve, he lowered his gaze, beginning to tug at the ties binding his brother in that constricting clothing.

"Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked, as bewildered as ever. "What is the matter?"  
"Keh," the Half-demon replied, struggling with a particularly complicated knot for a few moments before tugging it free impatiently. His mate's naked torso graced his vision in all its porcelain glory as the material fell away. "I'm giving you that bath," he answered huskily. Another moment, and under his clumsy touch, the remainder of the silken cloth cascaded down his mate's legs. Inuyasha exhaled shakily, stumbling back with a flush dusting his cheeks as Sesshomaru stepped out of his discarded clothing and approached him slowly.

In his hurry to escape his brother, Inuyasha felt his foot slide out from under him, and he tumbled back. A hard jerking out to halt his fall as Sesshomaru caught him, those strong arms pulling him up tight to his chest. "Watch where you step, Little Brother," the Demon breathed, disturbing the bangs at his younger Sibling's forehead. Inuyasha's breath caught in his throat.  
"Don't daze me then," Inuyasha griped.  
"Hnn," Sesshomaru hummed, his free-hand sliding slowly up his mate's bare back to cup his neck, before sliding their lips together. Inuyasha leant up into that mouth, risking a soft lick over those lips before they parted, devouring him.

And then everything changed.

The slow, precise tenderness slid from their damp fingertips and passion surged. Inuyasha smirked broadly against the kiss, causing Sesshomaru to draw back an inch. "What is it?" the Demon asked.  
"I feel like you need to see something," Inuyasha said simply, the bluntness of his statement suspicious in itself. Sesshomaru raised a brow. The Half-demon's fingers twisted forcefully into the hair at the base of his neck, tugging him towards his body as he backed slowly towards the edge of the bath. When he knew Inuyasha's foot was wavering on the edge he gasped, seizing his mate's abdomen and pulling him tightly to his chest, saving him from a tumble into the tub. Inuyasha's all-too demonic smirk broadened.

"What is it I so desperately need to know?" Sesshomaru asked, annoyed with Inuyasha's carelessness. And then it happened. The Demon Lord winced as the claws that held the hair at the back of his head captive scraped against his flesh, and he could smell as well as feel the blood. Inuyasha's eyes flashed briefly before crimson seized their hazy gold, and purple crests crept leisurely across his cheeks.  
"You seemed to be under some misapprehension that I could just _let_ you go," a very husky, demon voice growled from behind Inuyasha's curved lips. Sesshomaru's eyes widened a little in surprise, that rasp to his mate's voice sending tremors up his spine. "You need to see how possessive my demon can be…"

And then the very _demon_ Inuyasha lunged.

* * *

**SCENE CENSORED! For full chapter with love scene please follow the link to my AdultFanFiction or MediaMiner account on my profile page.**

* * *

_Wrapping his arms around the one you love, smelling their hair, allowing their warmth to heat your frozen, untouchable, unworthy skin… Feeling their breath skitter shyly over your lips… This was freedom._

_Long, delicate fingers wound into silver locks, tugging those shy lips forward, to span the distance between them. Hikireimaru sighed blissfully into that mouth, before ensnaring that comparably fragile form in a hungry embrace. "Touya," he breathed raggedly, diving in for another kiss, Touya smiled against the desperate mouth, a little awkward at such passion in front of so many._

_Hikireimaru's followers stood back, diverting their gazes to allow their new master some privacy. They had seen what he had done to their previous leader but a few moons ago, and had_ no _desire for such a fate to befall them…_

_"You have insulted many with your recent actions, My Love," Touya breathed, his eyes shining with admiration that did not falter, even in the face of his lover's brutality for his enemies. "We cannot linger."  
Hikireimaru beamed, his fingers ghosting down the pale kimono separating him from the flesh he adored so thoroughly, and with a confidence that would have once earned him the most foul of punishments. But a few short months it had been since he had seized his freedom with the butchering of his_ Master. _He spat upon the word. Nobody mastered him any longer, and he was free to love this boy before him as openly and passionately as any man could love someone._

_Leaning forward, the dark-haired Demon placed the smaller boy with a kiss, tracing those silver locks a final time before reluctantly drawing away. He would never tire of that awkward flush, the innocence that remained despite what he had seen Hikireimaru endure. He would never tire of being able to kiss him, and love him however he wished. A true, untwisted smile graced his young face, and Hikireimaru turned to face the men before him, each straightening as his gaze met theirs._

_"Lord Sesshomaru has set out to impede our movements. We wish no to impose no further troubles upon him. But we will not allow him to use us to prove himself to his foolish neighbouring lords. We shall disappear for a time. But we must move hastily-"  
"Perhaps more hastily than you first thought…"_

_Hikireimaru's head tilted, and to his right, beyond Touya's shoulders, he could see Lord Sesshomaru approaching. A boy, the dark-haired Demon thought with a slight wrinkle of his nose,_ not so different in age than I. _Touya frowned, back-stepping slowly to his side, and Hikireimaru caught his love's wrist, manoeuvring in front of him as Sesshomaru approached._

_"What brings you to my presence, My Lord?" Hikireimaru asked chivalrously, bowing his head slightly. Sesshomaru raised a brow at the minute action, evidently expecting a far deeper bow than he had received. The demons gathered behind him (a small selection from his army) murmured amongst themselves, already doubting their new, young lord's ability. For how strong could the new Lord be if he stood there, blankly accepting the inadequate display of respect a low-class rogue like Hikireimaru had just offered? Sesshomaru tensed at their whispering doubts.  
"Do not play ignorant with me, Hikireimaru, you know as well as I…" The Demon Lord trailed off for a moment, halting his steps a mere few feet from Hikireimaru and Touya. "I cannot permit you to go unpunished."_

_The dark-haired Demon blinked. He knew that the pressure on the young lord was impossible right now. Whether he wished to let him go free, whether he felt sympathy for him for what he had suffered, it mattered not. He could not be seen as compassionate and weak in his judgement, or the demon world would tear him apart._

_"I have no intentions of being imprisoned. Not when I have so recently found my freedom after decades of torture," Hikireimaru stated expressionlessly. His fingers tightened around Touya's wrist. "I will_ not_."  
Sesshomaru raised a brow, the only flaw to his perfectly impassive expression.  
"You do not have a choice," Sesshomaru murmured, and with a flick of his wrist, the stillness erupted into chaos._

_Touya screamed, and Hikireimaru seized him, spinning him into his chest before falling back as his army leapt forward, clashing with Sesshomaru's. Blood filled the air. The dark-haired Demon hoped that he had seen enough of it for this lifetime. A quick perusal of the madness of the men fighting for him, (the men he had followed as their General's whore for most of his life) made a bitter sense of betrayal swell in his chest. But it had to be done._

_His arm encircled Touya's shoulders protectively and he slipped away to the side. If cowardice would keep Touya safe, would keep them together, then he would survive being a coward. There were more important things than bravery. "Turn your eyes away, my Love," the taller Demon breathed and Touya nodded, turning his face in to press against his lover's collarbone, his vibrant eyes locking on his throat determinedly. Hikireimaru petted his hair gently, weaving out of the demons at the fray of battle, and heading towards the cover of the trees._

_Suddenly the earth trembled. The trees before them cracked, screaming furiously as they ripped from their roots, tumbling towards the ground. Hikireimaru threw them sideways, his grip on his lover breaking with the sharp collision with the ground. He winced as he rolled across the dirt. His limbs ached and his fingers clawed at the earth to try and stable himself. But his world spun and he stumbled, a razor-sharp agony ripping across the back of his skull as it slammed into the rocky undergrowth. He cried out, clasping his head in agony, red-hot blood trickling from between his fingers as he struggled to his knees, blinded by fuzzy shapes and lights. He couldn't see!_

_"T-Touya!" He called out. Where was he? How could he have let him_ go_? "Touya!"  
"Do not draw him into your demise." That voice. That cool, hard, unsympathetic voice. Lord Sesshomaru stood somewhere before him, not far off. A shudder crept up Hikireimaru's spine. He had helped his_ Master _commit terrible sins, he had torn the man apart brutally to seize his freedom, had pillaged and plundered the village of his spiteful, selfish parents - the ones responsible for the torture he had suffered his whole life. The ones who had sacrificed him so simply…_

_Hikireimaru winced, his temporarily blinded eyes slamming shut as he prepared for it. Visions of Touya, of their last few, free months together. He had lived at least for a little while and he had loved. If it ended now, so be it…_

_"I am regretted to do this," Sesshomaru's voice murmured, "but I cannot show mercy."_  
Do not betray your sympathy so easily, little fool, _Hikireimaru sneered, wishing the Demon Lord would hasten the blow. He could not see how close his demise was, and waiting for it aroused a sickened feeling in his throat. A whoosh of movement swept upwards, and he knew Sesshomaru was preparing the blow._ This is it…

_"STOP!"  
Hikireimaru flinched. "No! Touya, stay back!" His arm swept out, blindly swatting the air to keep his lover away. But that is all his arm touched, thin air. Blind and helpless, panic swept across his soul. He had felt this desperation before, had sworn never to suffer it again. Yet here he was, and Touya was in danger._

_"Don't kill him!" Touya's voice called again, closer this time, and Hikireimaru was knocked back in surprise at the feeling of a familiar, slender body flying before him. "He hasn't done anything wrong, you cannot-"  
"He has killed many," came Sesshomaru's complacent reply.  
"He has suffered just as much!" Touya spat, his youthful, innocent voice grating against the unnatural fury escaping his throat. "Those selfish bastards deserved it! You didn't protect him, your_ father _didn't protect him so he had to protect himself!"  
"Get out of my way you ignorant_ brat_," Sesshomaru sneered, and Hikireimaru quivered at the danger in that growl. The callous mention of the late Inu-no-Taishou was a foolish mistake for his young lover to make._

_"Get away!" The dark-haired Demon snarled, his hand swiping out and knocking his lover away. Hearing him hit the ground to the side of him; Hikireimaru surged forwards, limping towards his end. "Kill me if you will, but leave him out of this - he is innocent-"  
"My business is with you," Sesshomaru replied, and the dark-haired Demon swore he could hear spiteful, dangerous energy humming at the tips of the Young Lord's fingertips. "I will make it quick…"_

_Hikireimaru blinked hard, and as his lashes fluttered, the hazy world whisked back into focus. The light settled into its normal hues and he stared up from his crippled position, as the Demon Lord raised his hand, a whip glowing ominously, crashing down towards him. Hikireimaru stared up at it unwaveringly. He was not afraid of pain, though he knew enough of the secretly sympathetic lord to know it would be minimal, in comparison to what he had felt…_

_"STOP! NO - YOU CAN'T!"_

_That voice shattered the his resignation. Hikireimaru spun on his heel with a wince, tearing his gaze away from his demise, just in time to see Touya bolting towards him. His crimson eyes widened. "No! Touya go back-" He broke off, the wind knocked out of him as his lover threw himself forwards, sending him hurtling towards the ground. A scream cut-short and a horrified gasp signalled the worst before he gathered himself desperately, raising his head. It was as if the whole world stopped spinning…_

_Crimson orbs sparkled with horror as they saw it; Touya's mouth open in a silent scream, his face pale with agony, the glowing, crackling energy of the whip lodged in his chest. Sesshomaru staggered back, Hikireimaru dived forwards, and Touya's body, twisting in pain, shuddered towards the ground. The dark-haired Demon caught him, supporting his back on his knee as he cradled his convulsing body to his chest. "No," he breathed, staring down at his lover's face as the boy vomited blood up helplessly._

_"Kirei - hurts," Touya choked out, his shaking as they knotted desperately into his kimono. He cried out, coughing revoltingly as he pressed himself into his lover's chest, helpless as blood rained from his lips onto Hikireimaru's chest. The dark-haired Demon shook with him, tightening his grasp around him. He frowned, following the line of the whip still embedded in his lover's chest to the Demon Lord standing nearby._

_"You said it would be_ painless_," he hissed. Sesshomaru remained impassive, those his golden eyes shone with remorse - remorse that was meaningless because it wouldn't undo the deed, the cruel mistake.  
"It would have been. If I had withdrawn the whip immediately as planned, however…" He lowered his gaze to the fitful, silver-haired Boy. "I thought I would…Allow you to say your goodbyes, before death takes him."_

_Hikireimaru blinked hard, tears shuddering down his pale cheeks as he turned his glassy gaze back to the boy crying into him. He ran his fingers over the agony-stained tears cascading down his love's cheeks, stroking the tendrils of blood-soaked silver hair lovingly. He leant down, wincing at the whine of pain from his delicate lips as he laid a kiss on that forehead._

_"It - It hurts," Touya whimpered, his fingers unintentionally clawing at Hikireimaru's chest in desperate release of his pain. "I don't want to die."  
"You're not dying, Love," the dark-haired Demon gasped, touching his nose to the boy's before allowing a careful kiss to ghost over those blood-painted lips. "You're right here with me…"  
Touya coughed violently, before pressing desperately up into that kiss, as if it were his salvation. His limbs quivered. He could not stay still._

_"I'm scared I - I don't want to go - I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"  
"I'll come for you," Hikireimaru whispered against his lips. "Somewhere in time, I'll find you again. I'll_ find _you!" He insisted. A small smile graced Touya's dying lips.  
"I'll wait for you," he gasped, before his shining eyes snapped closed in pain. Hikireimaru glanced up, and Sesshomaru nodded, yanking back the weapon from the boy's chest. The boy's eyes remained closed, as his last shuddering breath left him, and Hikireimaru rubbed his tear-stained cheek against his own. "I'll find you," he insisted once more, his voice a shaking, broken whisper. He swore he saw his love's lips twist slightly into a smile, before the hands knotted in his clothes fell limply to his chest. He was gone. It was all gone.  
_

The doorway stood before them, an ominous beacon, the only thing standing between them and hundreds of curious eyes. Inuyasha's arm tensed in its place under Sesshomaru's, his claws scraping his Demon's wrist unwittingly. Sesshomaru glanced down at him, his own fingers sliding alongside Inuyasha's on his arm and stroked his hand softly, the action drawing his apprehensive mate from his reverie.

"How are the clouds?" the Demon Lord asked softly. Inuyasha flushed a little, fiddling awkwardly with his dress kimono (that's colour matched the crescent moon adorning his sibling's forehead perfectly). Sesshomaru had even dressed him this time (much to his pleasure); though this still did little to assuage his anxiety at being dressed up. He never liked major events, yet Sesshomaru thrived in them. _He isn't the_ _**man**_ _with a belly full of riled-up pups though,_ the Half-demon thought.

Descending the stairs on Sesshomaru's arm, Inuyasha breathed deeply. Everything seemed to take so much out of him these days. Suddenly something slammed into his knees, and Inuyasha frowned, his mood-swings causing his temper to flare unnecessarily as he stared down at the source. And he froze.

"Shippo?" He asked. It looked like him. _Gods_ it looked like him, but he was taller (past his waist) and the hair that had once been bound up in a bow hung loosely just above his shoulders.  
"Inuyasha!" The boy squealed in excitement, his voice an octave deeper than last he'd heard it, and that was all the boy said before launching himself into Inuyasha's legs again - this time, in a hug. Inuyasha gnawed his lip definitely, bending as much as his stomach permitted before wrapping his arms tightly around the fox-child, that was not much of a child anymore. He couldn't believe how the boy had grown!

"Why weren't you with the others?" Inuyasha asked, his voice muffled by the embrace.  
"Kilala and I came last with a few of the stragglers - we only got here this morning!" Shippo explained, and before Inuyasha could explain, a soft mewl whispered into his ears and a familiar furry face brushed against his. Inuyasha smiled, the expression sad and reminiscent as his fingers reached back to scratch behind the little demon's ears as she perched on his shoulder.

"We've got so much to talk about!" Shippo exclaimed and Inuyasha smirked, straightening up and petting the boy's hair gently. He could remember vaguely a time where affection for Shippo would have been a slap upside his head, but since Tsukihime, since _Sesshomaru,_ Inuyasha had learnt how easy affection could come to hand if he could only forsake his needless pride.

"We gotta catch-up alright," he assured him, struggling to suppress the sadness in his voice. "And we've got forever to do it; I promise ya that - let's get in our places for now though okay?" His voice was soft, husky; it felt weird to talk to Shippo in that voice - in what had become his _normal_ tone in his absence from his closest friends. Yet, more worryingly, he had a pressure in his chest as he watched them leave his side, as if he wanted to reach out and pull them back. As if he feared their time for reminiscing, for making up for their recent distance was limited…

"Once this is all over we shall have to visit more regularly," Sesshomaru murmured in his ear as they watched Shippo and Kilala scamper off through the doors and into the hall. Inuyasha swallowed hard, trying to rid himself of the lump that had risen in his throat and Sesshomaru, sensing his unease, continued, "I am sure Tsukihime and the new pups would enjoy playing with the Slayer's brood."  
Inuyasha nodded again, blinking back the moisture from his eyes and offering another smile.  
"That'd be good," he said simply.

Sesshomaru studied him for a moment, before taking the Half-demon's arm again gently, his free hand brushing soothingly over that swollen belly. "If nothing else good comes from this war, I swear that the one thing shall be your happiness. Tsukihime will be safe, and without Hikireimaru's presence constantly looming in every shadow you will be free to visit your friends as often as you please."  
Inuyasha nodded (seeming to perform that action far too much recently) and his stomach fluttering a little at the thought of regaining his old freedom. The Half-demon's eyes closed briefly, and he inhaled. To be able to run the way he used to, to be able to take Tsukihime out without Sesshomaru needing to be at his side…

_Not having to avoid every shadow with the fear that he will leap from it,_ he thought, _not having to relive the nightmares of him taking Tsukihime from me anymore…_

It took him a moment to realise that those leering doors were getting closer and that Sesshomaru had tugged him gently into movement again. Inuyasha's breath caught, and his eyes stared straight ahead determinedly as the guard opened the doors for them silently. Blossoms and incense whisked into his nostrils, he knew now why they said smell was the strongest sense when it came to triggering memory. Three years ago he was standing here for a different purpose. Three years ago, the candles burned for him and the amber light illuminated the bare flesh of his back as Sesshomaru added love to the vows he painted on his skin.

Inuyasha closed his eyes as he walked forwards, again everyone's eyes were on him, but that would not be for long. He basked in the recollection of when these smells, these decorations were hung in aid of him. Opening his eyes to look around the room, he felt Sesshomaru pull him into his seat, before the room fell quiet.

The room, the lustrous colours adorning its walls and floor were so similar to _his_ day that it was hard not to believe himself back there. After all, just as then, everyone was staring at him, and his belly was still full of Sesshomaru's unruly brood. Inclining his head a little, he saw Tsukihime walking up the aisle in between the two groups gathered in the hall, sprinkling cherry blossoms on the floor before scuttling up into her Father's arms. Sesshomaru smirked, settling the pup in his embrace before the hall fell silent.

Candles burned in warm welcome. Red and white hangings, framed the doorway as it opened once more, and this time Inuyasha was hard-pressed not to smile as Kazuki and Rin stepped over the threshold. He had never before appreciated how they had grown as much as he did now. Kazuki held his head high despite his nervousness, so different from the shy, broken child he had been when Inuyasha had first rescued him.

And Rin…there was no demoness more beautiful than her right now. Her eyes sparkled with bliss as Kazuki escorted her to the front, giggling quietly as he whispered something inaudible in her ear. They wore the same colours he and Sesshomaru had donned in their ceremony, and they never looked so grown up. Granted they were only just of suitable age to be going through with this but still, so had Inuyasha been, in truth. And with two children who had been thrown into adulthood by cruel circumstance far too fast, far too soon, this seemed a fitting reward, a much-deserved penance for the tripe the world had hurled at them both in their early years…

"We gather here to offer our prayers to the Gods, to the ancestors of Kazuki and Rin - To ask the deities and the deceased to bless this union with all their divine strength…"

The familiar words washed over him, and Inuyasha sighed as he stared at his two wards. What if the war changed everything? He had always dreaded change but now…what if something happened? To any of them - to Sesshomaru? His hands clenched into fists in what remained of his lap and he caught his lip between his fangs. Damning his hormones, he was grateful when Sesshomaru's hand petted his again softly, grounding him, restraining his self-berating mind that seemed to want to flutter off into the ominous clouds of terrifying `what-if's.

The room was plunged into sudden dimness and Inuyasha startled a little as he tumbled back from his thoughts. Sesshomaru chuckled under his breath beside him and Inuyasha kicked him gently as he too, blew out his candle, returning his gaze to the couple at the front. Kazuki's face inflamed awkwardly as he lowered his kimono for Rin to write her vows upon his back, and Inuyasha knew why.

The Half-demon recalled the vivid dread of everyone's eyes upon his stretched, unnatural skin. He knew (as did everyone now) that Kazuki's body, especially his torso still carried countless scars from his time with Shigehira. It must have been bad enough that Rin, the woman he loved, was now staring at them, knowing where they were from, but worse that hundreds of eyes were weighing upon them. Inuyasha tensed, moving to stop the madness, but Sesshomaru's hand on his shoulder stilled him. Inclining his head to look at his mate, Inuyasha saw those eyes shine brilliantly in the dimness.

"This is as much a test to him as the ceremony itself," Sesshomaru whispered, "we both endured it, as must everyone who wishes to bind themselves in such a manner must." When Inuyasha still looked confused at his lack of compassion, he placed a hand at the small of his back, rubbing softly. "Enduring for one's mate and allowing them to confess their vows before everyone, it is merely part of it. You were uncomfortable but not permanently scarred. Kazuki and Rin are strong, they will do just fine."

Inuyasha sighed, realising that the latter of the Demon's words were not merely concerning the ceremony, but their very (hopefully) long bright futures ahead of them. Leaning against his mate's shoulder subtly, Inuyasha frowned. He knew now, by the look in those eyes, by the tenseness of the hand against his back, that Sesshomaru felt what he felt. Uneasy, scared for their two _children_ that stood before everyone, vowing their devotion to each other. Reminiscent, nostalgic, because the little orphans they had saved had grown right underneath their noses.

The priests moved towards the couple then, offering each of them a single, burning candle. "To bring the ceremony and blessing to a close, the two of you must light the incense in prayer for the future."  
Inuyasha could see the tension leaving the two, just as he had remembered it escaping him with the lighting of each incense candle. And as the last candle flickered to life, they turned, facing the silent room. "The blessings have been bestowed. Your bond is henceforth complete."

The room erupted into applause. Everyone stood now. Inuyasha clapped the hardest, and when he felt movement at his side he looked down, a smirk reaching his lips as he saw Sesshomaru lifting Tsukihime onto his shoulders to see Kazuki and Rin easier above the crowds.

It had seemed so rushed at their ceremony. He had barely registered the room after the bond was completed. It had felt as if Sesshomaru had whisked him up and whirled him from the room, but watching it from an observer's point of view, he saw what had truly happened. Kazuki bent slightly to kiss Rin on her flushed, glowing cheek before circling her waist with a slightly shaky arm and walked her slowly from the room.

The doors fell shut behind the couple, and Inuyasha felt an odd twinge in his stomach, knowing what the two would be up to for the rest of the night. It felt weird to admit to himself that their _children_ would not be innocent for much longer. And what would it be like when they started

* * *

A/N: I'm not happy at all with this chapter but I hope you guys liked! I know the reunion between Shippo and Inuyasha was short-lived, but I didn't want you to think I'd forgotten his existence entirely. And this chapter wasn't ever meant to be about reunions. It was about loss or potential loss, and Inuyasha's nostalgia reappears at the end. Everything is just becoming more heavy and weighted with lost time and memories because of the approach of the battle. And above all, the changes that are rapidly occuring around him, good and bad. I think Inuyasha's doubt is showing through a little more in any case. But yes, that was what it was meant to be, so I hope you're not too upset that I didn't lengthen the reunion lol.  
Anyway, only a few more chappies left now TT_TT I quite liked Sesshomaru offering to take Inuyasha to Kagome - it shows growth and selflessness to his character, that has gradually changed so much since the start of the story. Anything else you guys think on recent events please let me know what it made you feel, I really love hearing what it brings to you :) BTW! probably only one more sex scene left for this story - oh noes! :-O lol **Please Review so I know you're still there lol**

Shigure-san  
x chuu x


	37. Come Home to Me

Author's Note:

**There is the final sex scene in this chapter, I worked really hard to make it perfect so if you want to read this story with the sex scenes please follow the link to AdultFanFiction on my profile. **But anyway, hey guys! Hope you enjoy! Thanks for everyone sticking with me this long! Not long to go now!

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Seven

_Come Home To Me_

_

* * *

_

The brisk morning breathed over the crowded courtyard with a bitter breeze. The archway to the side of the castle framed the brothers and their strange family as they greeted the demons that lined up; waiting to be acknowledged by the demon lords they were fighting for. Some accepted their greeting and moved into the grand foyer where Takara was waiting for them, others wandered into the adjoining gardens, where Kazuki stood quietly, keeping their movements in check.

The dark-haired human sighed at her place beside Sesshomaru, rolling her eyes after her millionth polite smile and low bow. Nannami smirked down at Rin, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder, whilst Inuyasha, on the opposite side of his brother (with Tsukihime wrapped in his arms) could not help but feel her suffering. Even despite the countless times Sesshomaru and Takara lectured him about what was right, about showing grace and gratitude to men who were joining them in battle. Inuyasha had nodded exhaustedly. He was grateful for their loyalty (despite the fact that it was mostly given in fear and the need to fulfil blood debts) but he loathed standing there, a freak, a sideshow for their wandering eyes. A pregnant half-demon, apparently as their lord, would never become anything less than fascinating. And he loathed, more than anything, having to ignore their snide remarks, or worse, their overbearing praise. He hated being trapped where he stood.

Tsukihime yawned widely, chewing her sucker tiredly and fiddling with the beads that hung about her father's neck. The guests' eyes wandered between her and Inuyasha's stomach frequently, and even she could see their thoughts. Turning her face to her father's neck to escape their gazes, she sighed softly. Inuyasha petted her silver curls with a thoughtful smile. She was never really nervous of people, merely cautious. She avoided them like the plague but yet something in her eyes betrayed her thoughts - thoughts she should've been too young to have.

A frown creased Inuyasha's brow as the dignitaries filed on past him, greeting him and his brother animatedly. He wasn't aware if Sesshomaru knew, but he (Inuyasha) had realised it all too-soon and could not bring himself to increase his Mate's already unbearable load. His daughter's mind…it seemed far too mature, even for a demon. Was it because of Hikireimaru? He knew that she could sense him (as he could) knew she felt the same shivers, the same prickling heat across the back of her neck. Or was it because of Touya?

Inuyasha swallowed hard, the subtle noise causing his Mate's eyes to divert to him, but he did not take notice. He heard the things she called out in sleep - only ever when Hikireimaru was on the move, or when there was a bounty hunter nearby. It was not a premonition but it was…a feeling, an instinct. Whether he liked it or not, she had a connection to that monster. She knew when he was angry, and it made her uneasy. She knew when he was sad and she withdrew. And she felt when he was close, and it made her scared. That fear he shared at least, and his arms encircled her tightly. She didn't feel love or devotion to that monster, not the way Touya had. But she _felt_ him, she sensed him and didn't know why. Even if he explained, she would not understand, and that was what scared her. Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango had contemplated the connection between reincarnations. Like Kagome had with Kikyo, Tsukihime possessed flashes of Touya's memory, but did not possess the words to explain its complexity to anyone. All Inuyasha knew was that she saw Hikireimaru - _a lot_. He just hoped that the _`pain'_ she had claimed see him in was not the extreme kind he had suspected…

_Spare my daughter that at least,_ he begged silently, to anyone that would listen.

"The sirens beckon you homewards, Sweet One."

Inuyasha blinked, startling from his daze as his brother tugged one of his ears gently. Inuyasha scowled (albeit half-heartedly) as he looked to his sibling.

"Huh?"

"You were drifting - you would do well to keep your wits about you. They could still take you by surprise, even in your own-"

"Lord Sesshomaru, Lord Inuyasha."

Sesshomaru's words were cut short, and both brothers turned their gazes to find a familiar face, with a hauntingly different look gracing those features to the one they remembered. Lengthy dark locks and hard, silver eyes still remained…but the anxiety that flickered across those features as he regarded Inuyasha and Inuyasha's claws…

Inuyasha inhaled shakily. He was not afraid of this creature; no such bully would reduce him to a shivering mess. But his cautious, golden orbs wandered the crowds, apprehensive, and Rin stiffened noticeably. Of course this coward was an ally, he was too afraid to be anything else, especially after their last encounter…

The crowds were bustling. Kazuki smiled politely to those who greeted him. Their numbers had almost swallowed the place where Sesshomaru and the others stood. Only Nannami with her fiery locks and Rin's sweet face peeked at him from across the din. Kazuki sighed sweetly. Times were hard, life was always going to be hard, but it was worth fighting for and in the end they were going to win. That was all there was too it. They just had to.

There was hope. That light, fragile feeling in his chest, like a butterfly trapped in a jar, it was something new that he had only dared to feel in recent years. How far away his dark, senseless existence of the past seemed…he wasn't even the same boy anymore… He wasn't even a boy. He was a man. The smile that graced his lips broadened intensely at another brief flash of his love's obsidian locks. There would always be shadow looming over them, but she would always shine through it.

"How you have grown."

Kazuki froze. His heart skipped a beat and he choked on his own breath as all wetness evaporated from his mouth. That voice made his spine ache with the chill that shot across it. His fingers went numb. His lips opened and closed soundlessly as he turned slowly, his limbs screaming in negation against the movement.

Cruel lips twisted into a smirk, the gesture so very different to the fearful wince he had witnessed but a few years ago, when Inuyasha strode in from nowhere and offered him his freedom. His lips were moving but no sound whispered past them. He backed slowly away, but the man followed him. Kazuki winced, that word - that name was on the tip of his tongue but he loathed to let it pass his lips, even if it spared him pain…

"M-M…" His suddenly very small, _very_ child-like voice quivered, and he watched those lips twist menacingly. A thud beside his head made him jump. The Demon's fist pressed threateningly into the wall he had been pinned to. His whole body shuddered with uncontrollable spasms - shivers of fear. He closed his eyes tightly against the sight of those silver eyes, so full of desires - desires that would result in his bloodshed.

Fear had not seized him like this since his escape with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. But at that moment his mind regressed, he was that same frightened child. He closed his eyes defiantly tight, determined not to cry like one. But his shaky voice betrayed him. "M-Master…Master…Shigehira…"

"You remember me well, Little Kazuki," the brute sneered his claws tracing the sharp curves of his jaw with thoughtful malice. "My bed has been so cold without you to warm it…to _stain_ it." He waited then, allowing the tone of his words to sink in. Those claws sifted into the violet locks that now hung just beyond the demon boy's shoulders, and Shigehira emitted a low, menacing purr. The same sound that used to shiver into Kazuki's ears before the pain, the humiliation was upon him.

The silver-eyed Demon leant in, his foul, potent breath steaming over Kazuki's face that flushed with shame. "Such pretty patterns your life's blood made, across the walls, the floor-" a low, rumbling chuckle broke the words, "-the _bed_…"

Kazuki's eyes slammed shut, his heart pounding furiously in his chest as the memories of those countless pains and torments. It was as if every old wound and foul torture this beast had exacted upon him had been magically ripped open once more. His head tipped back in despairing submission. He was trapped in this iron cage of arms again. His fangs grated together hopelessly as unshed tears stung his eyes beneath the lids.

"Yes," Shigehira hissed, his cruel fingers tracing the boy's unresponsive member through his kimono. Kazuki winced, a low, growl of negation shuddering beyond his lips. "You removed my mating mark from this place, did you not?" Shigehira asked with a seductive rumble. Kazuki remained stiff with revulsion.

"Don't throw the word `mate' around so casually," Kazuki murmured, a temporary stupidity overcoming him in the form of bravery at realising - what Shigehira had done to him…it wasn't mating. It wasn't love and it wasn't the warmth and devotion that he and Rin had pledged to each other. This creature was _never_ his mate.

How could he allow this creature to swarm in and steal his hope, his happiness with so little effort, as he had done before? Vile fingers tensed around his nether-regions, claws threatening to tear into it and his bravery dissipated. Was he really such a coward? He could face down Hikireimaru, the Bounty Hunters, but not this sadistic cradle-snatcher?

"You have forgotten your place, your _etiquette_ in my absence," Shigehira sneered rubbing harshly against the flesh that still loathed him. Blood wept from Kazuki's tense lips where his teeth pierced them. "Perhaps I should take this moment to remind you - to _reprimand_ you." Kazuki shuddered. Shigehira's smirk broadened. "Hmm, yes I have missed disciplining your precious little body… So grown now, so…beautiful…" Those depraved lips threatened to brush against his ear with his next words. "Still ready for me."

At that moment, the world seemed to fall into slow-motion. Kazuki's shiver at his once-Master's presence directed his head to the side in revulsion, his crimson eyes flickering open hopelessly. His breath shuddered from him in broken gasps for soiled air. And across the sea of oblivious guests, he could just make out Rin (still at Sesshomaru's side) and the way she slowly turned her gaze to meet him. When those deep orbs glistened with fear, he knew she saw this for what it really was.

Rin, his beautiful…_everything!_ She saw him. Saw him whimpering and cowering like a beaten puppy beneath this pervert's gaze. She'd seen the scars, she knew what he'd suffered but she'd never seen him…like this. Like this creature still owned his body. And he couldn't stand it.

A resounding, agonised cry tore through his throat, stilling the business of those around him instantly. His claws sank spitefully, with every ounce of hatred he possessed into Shigehira's arms. When the beast howled in pain, Kazuki sneered, screaming again as he threw the man from him. His _Master_ stumbled, barely keeping his feet, but Kazuki's body tensed with his fury, his breaths coming out in ragged pants. Everyone was watching. But he didn't care.

"Keep your wandering hands from my body," Kazuki hissed, not missing the air of Sesshomaru to his voice, "I eradicated my bond with you. I am not the child that once trembled at your feet - I am a man, a _demon_ and that means you have no power over me any longer." The violet-haired Demon sneered with all the essence of Inuyasha he could muster, watching the creature's shock with revulsion. "And if I ever, _ever_ hear that you have taken another child as you took me…Inuyasha's wrath will be the least of your problems." He punctuated his words with a feral snarl, before casting his glance around at the stunned crowds, and darting back into the castle - out of sight.

It was over.

Rin worried her lip between her teeth, idly rubbing her mating mark at her collarbone. Kazuki would be ok. He had his closure, she knew, but the aftermath he would endure at finally facing his fear still worried her. One could not help but worry with someone they loved, she supposed, and she could not help but flinch a little when a firm pressure pressed into her shoulder. Raising her gaze politely to Sesshomaru, she saw the stoic face of her Lord staring down at her reassuringly.

"Go to Kazuki, Rin," the Demon Lord murmured, noting how the guests he had just greeted lingered a little to hear what he was saying. "He needs you a great deal more than I now. Ready him for tomorrow's trials."

Rin remained there a moment, her dark eyes staring into Sesshomaru with a soft sheen of emotion and then her small, pale hand came to grip the one on her shoulder gently. There the moment hung, and then she bowed politely, before running after her mate.

Beside Sesshomaru, Inuyasha smirked, pressing himself into the Demon's side gently. "And to think you were once opposed to Little Kazu deflowering your precious human maiden," the Half-demon teased. Sesshomaru winced, the action barely noticeable.

"Do not bring such images to my mind, Inuyasha," the Demon scolded, before allowing his impassive mask to fall back into place. "And I would have to be blind not to see that they belong together."

Inuyasha stared at him a moment, uncertain whether he wished to voice his thoughts aloud.

"Like us?" he asked, before his pride and better-judgement could get the better of him. The line of guests stalled as Sesshomaru turned to Inuyasha, completely disregarding the demoness before them without so much as looking at her.

Sesshomaru allowed the briefest of smiles to warp his stoic mask, reaching around his mate's shoulder to caress the iridescent scar on his shoulder with feather-light touches. "Like us," Sesshomaru repeated, a warmth in his gut spreading as those eyes he adored stared back at him unrestrainedly. How he wished he had the freedom to show his affection at this moment, yet he withheld it, barely, under the presence of their allies. And when the soft, dulcet murmur of the Demoness before them clearing her throat unnecessarily caused him to look up, he would never be so grateful for the thoroughness of his stone mask.

The cold complacency was betrayed by the barest of sneers, an expression that the silver-haired beauty before him only answered with a cold smile. "I am surprised you did not recognise my scent before even looking up," she purred, still as stone in all her fur-dressed grace before him.

"Why should I recognise something I am so unaccustomed to," Sesshomaru replied bluntly, noting (as he hoped the Demoness did not) the way Inuyasha and Tsukihime had frozen beside him, while Nannami quivered with rage.

Oddly enough, Sesshomaru seemed to be the only one to keep his composure. Well practiced he supposed, just like the creature before him, with shining eyes and a beauty rivalled only by his family's. But this creature, the one that tossed her head a little as she regarded him, focused solely on him, for the first time in his life.

"Really, I am your mother, Lord Sesshomaru-"

"Only in name-"

"Be that as it may," her gaze finally stretched beyond the boundaries of his person and to the stunned Half-demon at his side, who held their daughter's face to his neck - away from her. "Do not deny that you are so infatuated and obsessed in thought with your father's young one, that you did would not have noticed an apocalypse until it was upon you."

Sesshomaru stiffened, a snarl rumbling in the back of Nannami's throat whispering into his ears.

The pale-haired Demoness merely smiled, again that cold smirk. "So like your father. He was possessed to distraction with his human pet - a distraction which ended so tragically as I recall."

Beside him, Inuyasha tensed.

"Love isn't a distraction - it's a solace. Maybe if you had a heart you would recognise that," Inuyasha growled lowly, not risking to raise his voice with Tsukihime in his arms. The girl had been traumatised with screaming quite enough for a lifetime.

The Demoness cocked her head slightly, her smiling eyes darting to Sesshomaru ever-so briefly before she approached Inuyasha a little more. To his credit, while Sesshomaru's body went ramrod stiff, Inuyasha did not flinch, did not so much as step back, only raised his chin a little in challenge, his eyes flaring defensively.

"Judging by your careful tone and daring eyes you are intelligent enough to recognise me," She breathed. Inuyasha sneered.

"I can identify the scent of a misguided bitch who has spent far too much time with her nose up her own ass alright," he spat. She only stared at him blankly.

"As can I recognise a spoiled, pampered puppy who has grown too big for his boots. Know your place, _Inuyasha,_ and let your mate (better-informed on social etiquette) introduce me to you properly."

Inuyasha raised a brow, humouring her as a downy ear flicked up expectantly, awaiting Sesshomaru's words. "Inuyasha, Lady Sachinatsu - our Father's first mate." No sooner had the words crept past his own reluctant lips, Sesshomaru bristled, a shiver he did not show caressing his spine at the haunting recognition of those words. He closed his eyes briefly, recalling, all-too clearly, the first and only time he had met his mother as a child (the only time at all, outside the fiasco with telling her to save Rin all those years ago)…

_The Great Dog Demon winced at the feel, the sound of his own fangs grating together. This whole situation, it infuriated him. He saw Sesshomaru just ahead, (still unaware of her approach) utterly immersed in flying after the ball he had tossed to him. That light-hearted, playful throw had inadvertently permitted him to catch_ her _in his sight to the right, approaching them. He saw Nannami stiffen beside him, and silenced her threatened growl with a gesture of his hand. Sesshomaru was running back to him now, but not quick enough, she would be at his side before his beloved son._ Their son…

"_My Lord," the vile creature breathed, lowering herself in the smallest of curtseys and exposing the perfect column of her throat in the process. Inu-no-Taishou barely withheld the sneer of revulsion, of heartache that wished to desperately to claw itself through his mask of complacency. But she had been his mate once, she had given him his beautiful son (albeit for the wrong reasons) perhaps all beings deserved the benefit of the doubt._

"_My Lord," She repeated, straightening up slowly, her dazzling golden orbs meeting his imploringly. Inu-no-Taishou straightened a little at that. Perhaps she was sorry after all? He had never seen her so subservient. "I am pleased you accepted my request for an audience - I was certain you would refuse after how badly I behaved when I departed."_

"_You did not behave badly - you did not behave at all. You merely left me without word. Merely disappeared and abandoned our son to freeze and starve to death." He paused, trying to reign in his anger as her words (though vacant as ever) echoed in his mind. She was admitting her shortcomings? Her mistakes?_ What is this in aid of? _He wondered, eyeing her suspiciously._

_She winced at his words but said nothing, quite aware, in her astuteness that he was not finished._

"_After all these years, what could_ possibly _bring you back to me? Was your freedom from my mark not to my liking?" he asked, quite aware that her sudden request for an audience came directly after he had taken the potion - had eradicated his bond with her. "And naturally, I would not refuse a meeting with you, however-" His golden gaze wandered to the little boy nearly upon them, the delight still not fallen from his face, "-I had catered for your arrival this evening. Not now, in Sesshomaru's presence."_

_Sachinatsu raised a brow at that. "I was nearby, Sire, I did not think my arriving but a few hours earlier would inconvenience you so. But I apologise. And…Sesshomaru?" She spoke the last words with such carelessness and vague confusion. That was right…she did not even know their son's name._

"_Papa?"_

_Inu-no-Taishou looked down at the panting boy suddenly at his side, clutching the ball between his comparably small hands. The child cocked his head to the strange new demoness standing before his father. A brief fog of recognition brewed in those bright eyes, he recognised her from somewhere, Inu-no-Taishou realised, but the boy did not know where from._

_He pressed a large hand on his boy's shoulder gently, turning him a little so that he faced Sachinatsu. "Sesshomaru," the Demon Lord confirmed for her, staring into her unmoving eyes, noting the careless way in which she glanced down at their son - who she had not seen once since she had so reluctantly brought him into the world._

"_Sesshomaru," she said, testing the name on her tongue as if it were a piece of fruit she was not sure was rotten or not, all the while surveying the child, that fidgeted uncomfortably under her gaze. He would not raise his eyes to her._

"_Look up at her, Son," Inu-no-Taishou growled softly, reassuringly, "Show her your face." He hoped, oh by the gods, Inu-no-Taishou prayed that the reason for her return was for their son. Perhaps he hoped in vain?_

_Sesshomaru bit his lip, hearing his father's voice and even in youth, felt determined to impress him (despite his nervousness, and unexplainable fear of the woman before him). He lifted his head shyly, trying to look as imposing as he saw his papa when he regarded strangers. "I am Lord Sesshomaru," he tried, his voice strong, faultless, the words a mantra he had learned to perfect since speech had graced him. He felt the presence of Nannami at his back, encouraging him. He waited, patiently for the strange new female to bow down to him politely, respectfully as the others did. But she did not budge, aside from the further arching of a delicate brow._

"_He shows no sign of his being worth his name's relation to death or killing perfection," Sachinatsu chided, scanning his charming yet unmistakably_ childish _features carefully, even as they hardened with his birth-right of pride. "A Killing machine? My Lord? I think not."_

"_I am Lord Sesshomaru," Sesshomaru repeated firmly, unnerved by her blatant dismissal and hurt by the way she looked down her nose at him. He looked up at his father. Perhaps this was a test? It was so strange. No one ever spoke to him, looked at him like that. Everyone respected him. Even Nannami and Takara, always! He was so confused…_

_Inu-no-Taishou squeezed his son's shoulder a little more firmly, signalling he had done well and was okay. Only once he felt his son relax, and saw the boy's conflicted eyes rise to stare up at Sachinatsu, did he too glance back to her. His sneer intensified when he saw she was looking at him directly. At_ him! _When their son was standing right there!_

"_State your business, Sachinatsu," he all-but spat, "What brings you to me?"_

"_I would ask for forgiveness, My Lord," she answered honestly, expressionlessly. "For my behaviour. I realise, belatedly, how I betrayed and insulted you by leaving. And beseech you to allow me to return - to reinstate me as your mate."_

_Inu-no-Taishou was stunned. His eyes widened a fraction, despite the fury that burned deep in his gut. A low, warning growl brewed somewhere deep in his throat._ Hell to decorum and etiquette, _he thought,_ how dare she?

"_Do you realise how preposterous it is, the manner in which you have come to me, begging for forgiveness without submitting, without proper remorse? Do you not see the insanity in it? Why should I accept you back when you have clearly not changed?"_

_Sachinatsu inclined her head a little, as if honestly surprised by his swift refusal._

"_Why should you not take me back, My Lord?" she replied, as if there really was no plausible reason not to. Inu-no-Taishou felt the molten fury boil his blood, every hair on his body standing on end, screaming for the chance to transform and tear her apart. No one ever made him as angry as she did, with her ice-cold heart, that not even their son could thaw…_

"_Do you even realise that our son is standing next to you?" He asked, his fangs grating against his gums dangerously. Sesshomaru stared at her intensely still, but she only glanced at him with unconcealed contempt._

"_I realise that this is the fragile stripling born of my body," she stated with a grimace to rival Inu-no-Taishou's, "Raised by a fiery-haired-whore-"_

_SMACK!_

_The resounding crack of flesh against flesh sounded. Sesshomaru flinched, recoiling into his father's leg as Nannami stood before him now, panting as if she had run a vast distance, her arm trembling as it fell back to her side, her palm an angry red. His eyes widened in horror as he watched the flames of Nannami's ancestors ripple across her flesh, desperate to scorch the stranger._

_Sachinatsu screeched._

"_How dare you? You presume to mark my flesh with those work-torn, unworthy hands?" She leapt forwards, claws outstretched, hissing with poison, that was, until Inu-no-Taishou emitted a furious roar, catching her hand mid-flight. She stilled immediately, baring her throat in surrender reluctantly._

"_She has helped me raise our son," Inu-no-Taishou clarified for her. "She loves him, as you could never love_ anyone. _Do not presume to touch her, for her worth is increased upon yours tenfold! And do not presume, that you are worthy of becoming my mate once more, not after what you have done, not after_ this_." His tone was low, warning, and as he released her she had the good sense to back away slowly._

"_Papa?"_

"_I banish you from me," the Demon Lord continued, ignoring his son's voice, "Had you returned with even the slightest remorse, even the slightest interest in our son you might have stood a chance. But selfish beasts like you never change. Be gone!" His last words were almost a growl, and he gestured jerkily with his claws. And with that she turned, without so much as a backwards glance and walked away. "You will realise one day, what a mistake you made in deserting the only creature with reason to love you unconditionally," Inu-no-Taishou called after her, but she did not pause. "And when that time comes, Sesshomaru will tell you himself that it is too late."_

"_Papa?" Sesshomaru called again, his soft, anxious voice calling the Demon Lord's gaze (hardened with anger) back to him. But the boy did not flinch at the sight of those burning, crimson-lidded eyes, only stepped towards him again slowly, his ball still grasped tightly in his hands. "Papa, who was that?" he asked. Inu-no-Taishou stared down at him, scratching the back of his neck as he wished, with all his soul that the boy had not had to bear this. Not the blatant rejection of his own mother - a_ second _time!_

"_Lady Sachinatsu - my first mate," he answered coldly, in a pained badly held complacency that would haunt Sesshomaru for years to come…_

His eyes fluttered open slowly, and everything was just as it was. And she was still before him, watching him with eyes that were his - as if she _knew_ him. How dare she presume to know him? A fury so _very_ like his father's at that horrid moment, hundreds of years ago, raced through him as he realised it was that moment that had set his crazed desire to be stronger, to be better into action. His own mother hadn't wanted him, so he had to be better, better than her and the father that she came crawling back to - his father, who had rejected _her_. He had to be stronger, so she could regret her decision to cast him aside.

_It is all her fault,_ he realised, noting (too late) that Sachinatsu saw more than just his vacant expression, as a smirk tipped her perfect lips. She knew what he was thinking, of that he was sure. So was Nannami it seemed as she released a warning growl, and advanced forwards, just like the last time they had met. However, this time, a full-grown Lord Sesshomaru held out his arm, stopping her.

Sachinatsu did not miss the glance the Demon Lord and the fiery-haired female shared, however brief it was.

"Nannami, you have done a good job, raising my son-"

"He is _not_ your son! You Self-righteous _bitch_!" Nannami snarled over the barrier of her Lord's arm that she dared-not cross, infuriated that the Demoness remained so impassive while she was fuming.

"Nanna," Sesshomaru murmured vacuously, "Do not waste your breath on her."

"You should let Nannami go at her," came a voice from his side. The Demon Lord inclined his head to stare down at Inuyasha, who was watching his mother with irreverent loathing. "Or else I will, and she is the one in the less compromising condition." He gestured vaguely to his stomach and Sesshomaru struggled to withhold a smirk at Inuyasha's attitude. It would most surely infuriate his mother, who lived and breathed decorum and social decency.

Sure enough…

"Never would I have guessed that my Inu-no-Taishou's bastard half-demon would be the one to tame my Sesshomaru," she replied emptily, meeting Inuyasha's challenging stare.

"He is no bastard," Sesshomaru corrected her simply, and with a tone as careless as if he were discussing the frogspawn in the courtyard's pond. Yes indeed, his father would be proud in the way he dealt with this woman. "Our father loved Izayoi; _she_ was his mate when he died. Not you. Moreover, Father and I _never_ belonged to you."

There was a pause. A deafening silence that Inuyasha was all-too familiar with these days, and he fidgeted slightly with the embrace of his pup, who now rest her head on his unmarked shoulder, gnawing on her sucker and watching Lady Sachinatsu with silent interest. _Probably just because she looks like Sesshomaru,_ Inuyasha thought distantly as he kept his eyes on the said Demoness.

"Indeed," came her calm, cool voice, "you have changed my son greatly, Inuyasha-"

"Lord Inuyasha," Sesshomaru corrected, but Sachinatsu did not seem to acknowledge he had spoken.

"I have heard of your tales, before and after the priestess, of course. Your exploits, your stories are swiftly becoming legend," she stated, her tone curiously courteous all of a sudden, as if she had suddenly seen something that made the Half-demon worthy of her respect. "You are more famous than I amongst both demon and human kind."

Amber eyes in that face that resembled Sesshomaru so painfully, scanned over the pup in Inuyasha's embrace. A frown creased the Demon Lord's brow as he saw his mother's thoughtful expression regarding his pup. He watched her step closer to Inuyasha, who still did not back away. And he watched, in confusion, as she held her arms out to receive the child. When she had rejected him, her own son so easily? _Twice_?

As if reading his mate's mind through the unease spreading across his marked neck like wildfire, Inuyasha shifted his pup up gently, thankful the child had learned sense enough to be wary and not reach out to the requesting stranger. _No matter how much she looks like Sesshomaru,_ Inuyasha thought, arranging Tsukihime so that Sachinatsu could see his daughter better, but did not pass her over nor slacken his grip. He didn't hand over his little girl lightly.

"She has Izayoi's grace and Sesshomaru's overall appearance," the Demoness said expressionlessly, seeming not to notice the way both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru flinched as Sachinatsu's fingers lingered over their daughter's puppy ears briefly. Sesshomaru's frown deepened. This interest in his pup, this respect of Inuyasha and now…the lack of remarks about Tsukihime's half-demon ears, despite her full-demon blood? It was all too confusing, and unlike his indifferent estranged mother…

"I had not imagined that even the Great Dog Demon would be able to make a half-demon beautiful at all. I have heard that can be ugly brutes. But here you are, with beauty enough to make you noticeable to Sesshomaru-"

"Sesshomaru chose me, you old hag," Inuyasha spat lowly, his limited patience evaporating swiftly with being forced to stand there and endure insults and now sudden, unconvincing flattery. "He chose _me_ and not because of how I look. Obviously my father made the mistake of mating with a fork-tongued bitch with an angel's face but he redeemed himself with my mother - and Sesshomaru is beyond your reach, so stop tempting him to rip your throat out!"

All fell prey to silence again. Everything stopped. Just as they had with Shigehira's confrontation with Kazuki, everyone stopped to watch, their younger Lord's words evidently having caught their attention. Inuyasha swallowed hard, always despising uncomfortable hush, and with hundreds of eyes staring at him. He hated being the centre of mass attention. That was one thing that would never change. His discomfort however, only increased at Sachinatsu's mouth curled into a smile once more.

"It seems that, with our history," she began, looking to both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha now, "that with our temperaments, we have gotten off on the wrong foot." It was then that she met Sesshomaru's eyes solely, and slowly, _far_ too slowly, she lowered herself into a deep, respectful bow.

_I am Lord Sesshomaru._ Sesshomaru winced at the recollection of his childish words, and the confusion, the disappointment as his attempt to impress his father backfired, and the (then stranger) refused to bow to him and his name. He felt…almost choked at the sight of her, looking up at him, as she had looked at his father - with reverence.

"I merely came to offer help to my son and his mate, in the protection of their daughter - my granddaughter."

Inuyasha felt Sesshomaru tense beside him at that last word, and brushed the back of his knuckles over Sesshomaru's subtly, evidently disturbing his mate from whatever reverie he had fallen into.

"You are not here as my mother," Sesshomaru stated. "I have one already. And whilst you will remain here with the other allies (with no special treatment) you will not stay within the castle walls once the battle is done. Whether we win or lose, whether I live or die, I want you gone after your duty is done." The only answer he received was a small smirk, so painfully like his own, before she rose fluidly and drifted away.

A deep, resounding sigh escaped the Half-demon's throat as he shifted the restless pup in his arms. Her weight was nothing to him usually, but after holding her for so long in his present condition…

Sesshomaru cast his glance to him as the last of the guests disappeared into the foyer, his arms reaching out to take their struggling daughter from him. "You should not overexert yourself," he stated, parroting Takara for the billionth time in the last few days. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, swatting the air dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah," he griped, laying a soft kiss on their daughter's forehead before releasing her to Sesshomaru's embrace. He stumbled back a little, shaking his head as his body trembled with a sudden vertigo. He winced, steadying himself on Nannami's arm and waiting for it to pass. His fangs grated against each other furiously in his mouth. How could he face the battle tomorrow - how could he match up to Sesshomaru if he was assaulted by this overpowering dizziness whenever he got tired?

A gentle, cautious hand patted his rounded stomach, though he struggled to realise if it was Nannami's or Sesshomaru's. He closed his eyes against the lurching world, just as the unborn menaces in his belly thumped him reproachfully. For numerous reasons, he could not wait to get them out of him. _No more kids after this,_ he growled as his vision slowly seeped back into focus, _he can keep his dick sheathed next heat_…

"Let me take you back upstairs, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru began, but Inuyasha frowned, shaking his head as he raised his gaze to the darkening heavens.

"No," he answered, "it'll be getting dark soon, and you promised to watch the blossoms with `Hime today." At this, the sulking child (evidently bored from being silent and still whilst subjected to questioning stares) perked up a little, her ears pricking with interest. The Demon Lord holding her permitted a slither of a smile, caressing her silver locks.

"It will only take me a moment to-"

"No, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha cut across him, his tone more biting than he'd intended, "I'm not being your needy, helpless little lapdog. I can take myself upstairs." His fangs caught his lower lip in regret of his words, but he turned from his scorned mate in any case, not missing the sound of an exhausted sigh leaving the Demon Lord's lips as he walked away.

Sesshomaru watched him go tiredly. He knew Inuyasha was just exhausted and worried, he could sense both so fiercely that they were as potent as a slap in the face. And whilst he knew it was more the hormones that selfishness that fuelled this terseness, it did not appease him any. _Not when tonight might be our last night,_ he thought.

"I will see he settles down safely," Nannami assured him, her patient voice breaking his reverie.

"Thank you, Nannami," he murmured, before turning to his daughter. "Let us feed that unruly belly of yours before we watch the blossoms, Princess?" His tone lifted considerably as he addressed her, and the girl beamed at him in response.

Despite the extra bodies at dinner, the absence of one form in particular rendered it a particularly disinteresting affair. Sesshomaru sighed as he watched Rin help Tsukihime tackle her chopsticks, setting down his own after shifting around his dish uselessly for long enough. If it was their last night, he was leaving the most important person with some poor memories to hold him by…

It only recently began to occur to him how greatly he had changed since Inuyasha's appearance in his more intimate life. Perhaps that was the reason for his mother's sudden rekindled interest and approval of him? Perhaps the change in him, the Sesshomaru that now sat in the courtyard, staring out across the flowers with his daughter on his lap, had instigated the change in Sachinatsu's opinion.

Tsukihime yawned widely, pawing at her eyes as she leant back against his chest. With no one else to see, Sesshomaru permitted the smallest of smiles to reach him once more, his fur curling around the child's little body to warm her. She giggled, as always when it tickled her nose and that strange, familiar warmth spread across the Demon Lord's chest. "Love you, Papa," she mumbled sleepily, and Sesshomaru's smile broadened.

"And I you," he replied, but as he inclined his head to look down at her, he saw her eyes lidded with sleep - she'd dozed off. "Inuyasha will have my head if he finds me keeping you out in the cold too long," he said to the sleeping toddler, gathering her up in his arms, his fur warming her as he stood slowly.

"It seems Inu-no-Taishou's half-demon son has indeed tamed you, I see," came a voice off to the side. Sesshomaru turned, his nose crinkling slightly as he smelt (before he saw) the Demoness stepping out of the archway and into the courtyard. A wary shot of caution shot up his spine and every muscle in Sesshomaru's body tensed as she approached, her hair an amazing luminescence under the sun's dying rays.

"Is that the worst fate you could imagine for me, Mother?" Sesshomaru asked expressionlessly, "To be _tamed_?" She remained silent, though her shining hair shimmered in the waning light as she tilted her head to the side to regard him with curiosity. There was a pang in Sesshomaru's chest as he realised, where his precious daughter's beautiful silver curls came from…

"It used to be the worst thing to you - being tamed, dominated, _weakened_-"

"Inuyasha does not _weaken_ me," Sesshomaru cut across her, his voice dangerously calm. "He completes me, he strengthens me. And as for the former, domination has never been my fear. I bowed for my father when he was my alpha, and now that I am in his place though all bow before me, it is not above me to submit to Inuyasha (my equal) if he requires it." He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in. But his mother's face was a perfect reflection of his own cold exterior. He was glad Tsukihime slept on.

"That is why you walked away from Father, is it not? That is why he rejected you when you asked to return. Because you could never bow, could never submit your pride. Not to me, not to Father-"

"-You refer to that day I first met you and would not bow?" she asked, her voice betraying a slither of amusement, "Such a proud little prince you were…"

"Do you want to know why Nannami is a better mother than you?" he asked, swiftly adding "aside from the obvious?" She said nothing, and so he accepted her silence as her ascent. "She loves everyone, and she knows when to be strong and keep silent and when to bend, when to show that love, when to bow. She knows how to be both - just as Takara does, just as Father did, and just as I do now."

"And are you saying that you bow for your own pup? Do not be ridiculous…"

"My relationship with Tsukihime is not as formal as ours was that day - But as I have previously stated, I am not afraid to submit to Inuyasha. Letting him dominate me does not make me weak, it makes me fair. Inuyasha was not a submissive person before me, in fact he was feral and unruly. But he bent for me, and he submits to me willingly, just as I for him…"

There was a long, thoughtful pause. They were so painfully alike that he feared the silence would never break again. Inuyasha brought colour, brought life and sound into his being, but now, facing his birth mother, it was easy to remember the cool, composed Lord he was meant to be. Suddenly, the small bundle in his arms twitched in sleep, and Tsukihime whined softly in slumber, clinging to his kimono with her tiny fingers. At that moment, an overwhelming swell of appreciation for Inuyasha surged, and he felt compelled to make one thing certain for the woman before him.

"Inuyasha completes me, I once thought he would bring the excitement the glow back to my dulled existence and I was correct. If this life is a tamed one, then I welcome it - do not for one moment suppose that your sudden, inexplicable interest in me after centuries of neglect will change my mind on that matter." He began to walk away but turned to face her sharply as the need to make himself unbearably clear overcame him once more. "Inuyasha, Tsukihime - all of my family are worth a great deal more to me than you. And each have earned my trust, whereas you have yet to."

A soft laugh came from the Demoness before him and he turned back to her, her amber eyes focused on him carefully, as they had never been before. What he would have given for this intensity - this attention when he was younger…

Sachinatsu stared at him for a long while with that pensive gaze before offering a small sad smile. "I have witnessed how he has changed you, but I do not claim to be disappointed by such changes," she murmured softly, tipping her head skyward. "I had heard how my son had altered, for the better many agree, and now that I have seen it for myself I cannot but feel that I have been selfish…since even before you were born…"

A frown creased the Demon Lord's brow as he shifted his slumbering daughter against his chest slightly.

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

There was another small smirk at her lips, though this one was more similar to the fleeting, sincere smiles he gave for Inuyasha…

"Hikireimaru," Sachinatsu answered finally, the name sending the smallest of shivers up Sesshomaru's spine. Tsukihime shuddered and whined softly as her brow creased in her sleep. Sesshomaru rubbed her back in soft circles, the way he had when Inuyasha felt ill whilst carrying her.

"Hikireimaru," he repeated, disgust seeping in through his mask of complacency. She nodded.

"He attempted to recruit me," she answered plainly, watching her son's face knot with barely contained anger. It was an insult, they both knew, that Hikireimaru had sought her, but then, could anyone expect less? "There was simply something about the way he spoke of my granddaughter," she lowered her gaze to the slumbering Tsukihime then, an odd look flashing in her eyes. "It shook me from my selfish reverie. I felt…I _feel_ the need to accomplish something the way Inu-no-Taishou did."

Sesshomaru sneered derisively, albeit half-heartedly.

"That particular accomplishment I am sure you refer to got him killed-"

"Love of that human Izayoi did not kill your father," she cut across him, her tone biting, coarse with bitterness, but not resentment, or anger. "And nor did his love of you, _or_ Lord Inuyasha."

For that fleeting moment, Sesshomaru was stunned. He stared at her - _into_ her in an attempt to fathom truth from lies, but could only see honesty in the reflection of her soul. Those assurances he had heard many times over since his father passed, but never from those lips - and he had never received anything that he needed more from her. A strange light-headedness made his head spin. It was as if, for the first time in centuries, he believed those words. What he couldn't believe was that his mother was the one saying them.

"I was a selfish demon," she explained, her lips still curled in a miniscule smile that betrayed her knowledge of his train of thought. "You should understand, Sesshomaru. I was young, beautiful, powerful and did not see that I should have to submit to an alpha. But your father was the strongest, the most handsome and wealthy, and I thought, if I could submit to any, it would be him."

Sesshomaru felt his stomach clench with hurt and betrayal. He knew this already of course, knew every sordid detail, but he had hoped that he could be like Inuyasha, and find that despite all, somewhere deep down, his parents had loved each other…

"I rushed into it," she admitted, continuing swiftly, as if sensing his disgust, "I mated a demon for his physical and monetary attributes and the lack of love I found in my heart, in light of his doting, adoring ways made me bitter. I hated my life despite my title, and so I grew to hate the pup I bore," she stopped briefly, stepping closer to span the gap between them, as if she wished to embrace him, but she did not. No matter how her eyes betrayed her. "So I had to leave, for I loathed myself (though I did not know it then) for hating my own son. And when I returned, seeking retribution, still I only craved the status, still I could not love anything but your father's power, and still I could not look at you… I wish, so deeply, to make amends for that…somehow…"

Sesshomaru cleared his throat when her words died, her beautiful face almost untouched by her emotions - _almost_…

"I believe you," he said, and she seemed to relax visibly at his words. "I can forgive such intractable, selfish and vain actions, for I was of similar to my mother once." He noted the amusement mix with the relief in her eyes then, and felt strange still. He had changed. So much. Especially to forgive her so easily. Forgiveness was not something he had bestowed lightly, even if refusing it made him a hypocrite. _The years with Inuyasha have been too good to me_, he thought, before he motioned to finish his sentence. "However, Nannami is still my mother - and her position will not be compromised. It would do you well to remember her temper also, during your stay."

He hoped that Sachinatsu recognised the glimmer of teasing in his eyes, but was sure that she had, when he saw her reciprocate. "Of course," she replied in her usual monotone, before diverting her glance to the child stirring in his embrace. "I do not suppose there is any chance I can hold her, is there?"

Sesshomaru considered her thoughtfully, and tried hard not to let his smile leak through his once iron-clad mask of impassiveness - he tried _very_ hard…

Inuyasha smirked at his mate's `detached' explanation of why their daughter had smelt so strongly of Sachinatsu when Sesshomaru and he had put her to bed for the night. With his sleeping yukata hanging open a little, the Half-demon caressed his unsettled pups through his bulging stomach as he sat, propped up by the window. The dying rays of the sun streamed in through panes, bathing his skin with an ethereal orange light.

It had surprised him that Sesshomaru forgot the significance of this night (especially whilst he was pregnant), but then he supposed the Demon Lord already had a lot on his mind…

He could not pinpoint the exact moment he had come to know his mate and every vague, composed gesture, but through the impassive mask (and the Demon Lord's indistinct explanation) he realised that somehow, Sesshomaru had made up with his mother. This was what caused the smirk at his lips to widen a little. She had been a problem that had hurt Sesshomaru all his life, had taunted him from distant memories, with scars that had never faded away. But whatever this woman was, she was Sesshomaru's mother, and he could understand something about mothers.

Perhaps it was a tribute to how much he had grown as person himself, that he was not cursing indignantly and demanding Sesshomaru refuse her efforts on the grounds of her past sins. He could not bring himself to. Not when he knew how it felt to be given a second chance he didn't deserve…

They couldn't trust her, not right away, and knowing how similar to Sesshomaru she was, Inuyasha thought that perhaps she would not expect them to in any case. However, she would be a part of their lives now, of that he was sure. But what had him perched here, was not that fact alone…it was the suspicion that Sesshomaru's sudden ease he felt caressing his senses, had something to do with Sesshomaru's concerns for the future. He swore that Sesshomaru now felt, if he fell, his mother would be able to protect Inuyasha and the pups. His suspicions were only heightened when his mate concluded his explanation with: "We can trust her not to betray us at any rate. At worst she will lose interest and wander off again however, I do not believe that will be the case. She will be helpful during and after the battle…"

A strange, harsh grip suddenly seized his constricted stomach. A vice-grip with spiteful, paranoid fingers that caused a pain to swell throughout his body, an agony that had nothing to do with the demanding twins in his belly. He was suddenly afraid, as scared as he had been when Tsukihime had taken, or when Hikireimaru had stolen him. He was frozen with fear, when it hit him as suddenly and harshly as if someone had thrown him into the stone wall. The battle was tomorrow! They could all die tomorrow! _Sesshomaru_ could die tomorrow!

He winced at the thought and at his own weakness as a treacherous wetness gathered in his eyes. But he would not mourn something that was not yet gone, and _would_ not go if he could help it…

A sudden pressure on his shoulder made him jump, and his head snapped up so swiftly that his neck cracked in protest. He winced, though the hand rising to rub his abused neck was beaten by the pale, soothing hand of the Demon Lord he abruptly found beside him.

"You are anxious, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru stated softly, his long fingers pinching gently at the now aching muscles, easing the pain. Inuyasha sighed, leaning into that hand involuntarily as his lover's soft platitudes swept over him. "I can feel it-"

"I _know_ you can feel it, Jackass," Inuyasha cut across, though not pulling away from the massage. His eyes fluttered closed and his head tipped to rest against the chest of the demon standing next to him. "How can you be so calm?"

The massage paused and everything in the room stopped for that moment, even Inuyasha's laboured breathing. "Because calm composure (although hard to come by) is required of me tomorrow, if I am to win."

"We can't lose," Inuyasha argued, though he felt the doubt creep up inside him, "There are more of us than there are of them. And we are better fighters!"

"But Hikireimaru is cunning," Sesshomaru replied stoically, his voice sounding as if he were in a trance. Inuyasha kept his eyes tightly shut, his ear flickering as he pressed it firmly against the Demon's torso. "Hikireimaru has been planning this since before Tsukihime was even born, he will not fall so easily…"

That voice that had once antagonised him trailed off, thoughtful for a moment, and Inuyasha felt the ache in his chest intensify at its absence. It soothed him, and in his hormonal anxiety, he had to inhale that skin deeply to ensure that Sesshomaru was still there. His eyes clenched defiantly, and his fingers reached out, hooking into the fabric of Sesshomaru's sleeping attire. What would he do if this was all torn away from him tomorrow?

Those fingers he adored crept into his hair, rubbing the base of his ears reassuringly, and that voice blissfully returned to him.

"I also feel…comforted, in knowing that, should the worst fall tomorrow, Nannami, Takara and my mother will all be able to help protect you and the pups." On feeling Inuyasha tense under his touch, he quickly added, "I do not plan to die, Inuyasha, in fact, for the first time in my life I _fear_ it. It is just a precaution-"

"You don't need precautions," Inuyasha snapped under his breath, the ache in his core intensifying to impossible strength. "You won't let me die, and I won't let you leave me."

Sesshomaru sighed, reluctantly releasing his hold on his sibling's hair as he descended to his knees fluidly. But Inuyasha would not open his eyes. "Look at me," Sesshomaru breathed, his fingers gliding up his mate's naked legs until they met the soft swell of that stomach. He petted it slowly, patiently waiting for Inuyasha to look at him.

Inuyasha blinked hard, banishing the brewing tears before allowing them to open. He stared down hard into the Demon's eyes, fully aware of what was about to come forth from those lips that, right now, he just wanted to kiss. He was no stranger to heartache, but this was the worst he had ever felt.

"If you leave me tomorrow I'll never forgive you," Inuyasha stated plainly, his voice low, his eyes determined. The tiniest of sad smiles flickered across Sesshomaru's face.

"I would give the world to stay with you, and I will fight with my last breath to do so," the Demon Lord assured him, leaning forward a little so that he was between Inuyasha's parted knees and continued to stroke his abdomen soothingly, sensing the unease and pain in the form before him.

"I'll be right there next to you," Inuyasha reminded him, "We can't lose when we're together. We're unstoppable!" Desperation sank into his husky voice at the sight of that familiar sheen in his mate's eyes. He knew him too well. He knew what the Demon was about to say before he even opened his mouth…

"You will not be there, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said.

Inuyasha winced as if he had been struck, and turned his face to the side defiantly. "You can't go without me. How can I let you go? Would you let _me_ go if the situation were reversed?"

Sesshomaru sighed tiredly, gathering himself to his feet slowly and laying a brief kiss to his mate's hair.

"It is not, so it is of little consequence. Besides which, who else can watch and protect Tsukihime while I face Hikireimaru?"

Inuyasha frowned.

"Rin and Kazuki have already volunteered. They are both trained enough to hide her and they would both die before letting anyone touch her-"

"You would bring our wards, those we have sworn to protect, into this battle?"

"They are not children," Inuyasha sneered, his temper rising, "And it is the only way I can dissuade them from finding their way into the fight. Give them a noble task and they will stay close by, but out of danger - and I can be by your side, as I am _meant_ to be," he added when he saw Sesshomaru's frown deepen.

An exasperated whisper of a sigh left the Demon Lord before him, and Sesshomaru offered a final glance before turning away. "My answer is still no, Inuyasha. My pregnant mate will not-"

"I'm not a _damn_ baby carrier Sesshomaru, I'm a man!" Inuyasha spat, leaping to his feet, his words made less impressive as his yukata fell open completely. He instantly regretted the sharp, anger-driven movement as his head swam and his abdomen cramped, but he stepped forward nonetheless, too furious and determined to retreat.

"I'm a _demon_! I can call my demon at will and control it to protect you - like I did before! There is no way in hell will I sit here one day and tell our pups that you died but I _might_ have been able to save you! I won't live with that guilt - do you hear me?"

"Of course I hear you," Sesshomaru replied softly, still not facing him, still inexpressive. "You are shouting.

"I'm shouting because I'm about to lose the person that means most to me - _again!_"

As those words registered, Sesshomaru turned slowly, drinking in the sight of his infuriated, all-but naked lover standing there, silhouetted against the candlelight, all the more beautiful because of those words. But that was only all the more reason to protect him.

"You have always been adamant that you are unlike anyone else that has loved me," Inuyasha began again, his voice descending to a low, loathing rumble at the sight of the fight still glowing brilliantly in his mate's eyes. "They say they'll keep me safe, that they will stay with me but even _you_ talk of dying and leaving me. It's all lies. It always has been." He paused, his hands curling into fists as he stared at the Demon Lord before him, striving to make him understand. "Yet here I am with you, desperate to believe you'll stay with me." Anger shook him, and his voice rose again. "The Gods help me! Here I am with you, struggling to be lied to again!" He surged forwards, though this time; the abrupt movement was in pain, not anger.

A cry tore free of his throat. He tumbled into Sesshomaru reaching arms as he doubled over, his face contorted with pain. _The pups?_ He panicked. His heart thudded madly in his chest as agony laced the frantic blood flow. Warm arms tugged him carefully to the grand bed and rested him against the plush pillows.

"If you would not stay behind for me, stay behind for the pups, Inuyasha," came Sesshomaru soft, reassuring voice. Inuyasha growled.

"Don't emotionally blackmail me, Sesshomaru." Those hands propped him up gently, and he felt the bed dip as the Demon Lord slipped on behind him, rubbing his lower back in slow practiced circles. Inuyasha could not help the appreciative whine that escaped the back of his throat as his body slouched forwards with relief.

Both brothers seemed to lose their voices for a long while, aside from the occasional whimper from Inuyasha and the soft hum of Sesshomaru as he patiently kneaded his sibling's flesh. The soft, orange glow of the candlelight met their bodies where they sat on the bed, bathing silver hair and pale skin. As the Demon Lord's ministrations at his back slowly abated the pain, Inuyasha ran his palms over the swell of his stomach thoughtfully.

It was so easy to lose himself at that moment, Sesshomaru realised. With his hands tracing his love's skin and the warmth of that body, it felt like a strange, otherworldly place, where they were together and they didn't have to fight for that anymore. He lost himself so easily, as he had found he could only do with Inuyasha, and he was so far gone that the sound of his own voice sounded so far away.

"You are merely exhausted from the two demonic lives inside of you. It is the same with Tsukihime. They are more full-blooded than you and as such demand more energy than you can honestly afford," Sesshomaru explained, wondering if the relaxation softening Inuyasha's tense body was because of his words or his touch, or both. "Takara had warned us of this occurring if you did not relax." He watched as Inuyasha simply nodded, seeming to take his _`scolding'_ on the chin.

"Have you thought of any names for the pups?" Inuyasha asked, his simple, quietened tone tainted by guilt and anxiety. Again, a sigh tugged from the Demon Lord's lips, before his voice dropped to a whisper, and his fingers stilled.

"You will remain home tomorrow, Inuyasha," he murmured, not allowing Inuyasha to change the subject.

"No," Inuyasha answered, just as quietly. Suddenly, those arms reached out, enveloping him hungrily, pulling him back to rest against the smooth pectorals behind him.

"Stay, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru breathed in his ear, his voice almost pleading now, "Wait for me here. Give me something to come home to…"

Inuyasha felt his emotion swell up, forming a lump in his throat and his eyes glistened with the intensity. He blinked hard, determined not to concede. "If I sit here on my fat backside waiting for you," He began, in a croaky, unsure murmur, "they'll be no one out there to make sure you get back to me…" He inhaled sharply then, struggling to control himself, and waiting until he could trust his voice to be strong again before he dared speak. "If you try to make me stay here I will just follow you out later, and maybe get hurt because you weren't there next to me. So take your pick, Sesshomaru, because I know which option sounds most reasonable."

It was at that moment, Inuyasha realised, that the Demon Lord looked more exhausted than ever. As if the battle had already been fought and he was on his last legs. The heat of Sesshomaru's palm found his cheek and turned his head back until he could force their lips to meet. Inuyasha melted. Hot, slow breaths fogged his conscious thought, and his hands came up to grip the forearm that held him into the kiss. "Let me love you," Sesshomaru purred. Inuyasha swallowed, nodding dumbly.

"Far be it from me to stop you," he replied nervously. And those arms tightened around him for a moment, before rolling him gently onto his back.

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**SCENE CENSORED! To read with the full (final) sex scene, please follow the link on my profile page to AdultFanFiction**

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Suddenly, Inuyasha pulled from his body, jerking back violently. Sesshomaru struggled not to slump onto the sheets without his support, and turned as swiftly as his shuddering muscles permitted. Everything felt numb, except his stomach, which had lurched at the feel of Inuyasha's panic, of Inuyasha's _pain_…

"What is the matter?" he asked, frantic, the emotion not sounding right in a voice smothered in spent arousal. He turned to face Inuyasha completely, the Half-demon no longer silhouetted in orange light, but in the dull glow from the stars outside. Inuyasha was clutching himself in pain, but before he could ask again, his question was answered. Silver locks faded black, claws on the unbitten hand retracted and he watched with morbid fascination as his lover's chest and genitals contorted - in the way they always did on this night.

How could he have forgotten the significance of this night? Sesshomaru struggled to his feet, hazily seizing one of the vials from the end of the bed, the one with the strongest scent and pressing Inuyasha to the sheets. The Half-demon struggled in agony, protesting as the liquid was rubbed into his flesh. The daze of his submission swiftly dissipated under his fury as Inuyasha swiped at him. Sesshomaru seized his mate's wrists and pinned them above his head with one hand while the other massaged the scented oil into his body.

"Do you _want_ every demon on the continent to know of your human night?" Sesshomaru growled, "They are all downstairs, need I remind you. If they get one whiff of you they'll all know - now lay still so I can disguise the scent you insolent _Half-breed_."

Inuyasha stilled at his words, lying on his back petulantly, the pain still throbbing dully as his body remembered his organs and genitals being rearranged. It wasn't a pleasant feeling by all means, but he had become used to it, and the ache faded considerably after a while…

Everything paled in comparison to the agony of childbirth in any case; he smirked despite himself, that always seemed to bring things back into perspective.

Sesshomaru's hands glided over his body, from the legs up. Inuyasha's toes curled, pawed at the ruined sheets as he felt them smooth over his swollen belly (thankfully having bypassed his nether regions). It felt nice. The calming sensation of those warm hands on him, it curbed the sharp pain. He supposed, maybe the panic of a sudden pain made it seem worse than it was, since whenever he relaxed it eased, but he could not be sure. But then, Sesshomaru's hands slid up, hovering over his…_breasts_, and his anxiety began to brew beneath his skin again in the form of a hot flush.

It felt weird enough lying there under his Demon lover with female parts, but to have him _looking_ at them, evidently wanting to touch them was…incomprehensible. He chewed his lip thoughtfully, his gaze flickering to and from his mate's face, unsure whether he really wanted to brave _looking_ there at that moment. But that last time he glanced up, Sesshomaru caught his gaze and the apprehension in them, and his hands drew away slowly. Inuyasha slid up the bed, propping himself up on the pillows a little, before encircling his belly with his arms, not sure how to voice his next words appropriately…

"Sesshomaru?" The man in question raised his gaze from where he knelt on the sheets over his feet. "Do you want to touch me?"

"Hnn?" The Demon asked, brows arching in surprise, "What did you say?"

Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably as the Demon Lord drew closer.

"Do you want to touch me," he repeated gesturing to his distorted body, "My breasts - you like girls too don't you? You haven't had a chance to touch any for over three years, aren't you getting withdrawals?"

Sesshomaru nearly laughed at how very _young_ Inuyasha sounded just then, his faced flushed with embarrassment at the whole situation. _And at his own secret desire I suspect,_ he thought. He crept over that body a little more, his hand reaching out to press against the Half-demon's collarbone.

Inuyasha inhaled shakily, preparing for the shock of oncoming sensations. _This is so weird,_ he thought.

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**SCENE CENSORED! To read with the full (final) sex scene, please follow the link on my profile page to AdultFanFiction**

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"Inuyasha," he breathed raggedly, inhaling the obsidian hair like a starving man. Inuyasha made a strange contented sound in the back of his throat, his fingers curling over his shoulders as he tilted his head up under the Demon's nose, enjoying the feeling of being scented even if he couldn't do the same back in his present…_humanity_. They were drifting. It had been a long day and night (well, few nights in point of fact).

The still very human Inuyasha sighed exhaustedly, moulding himself into Sesshomaru's form, pressing as far in as he could go.

"I love you." The Demon Lord's confession caressed his ears as he drifted, but he felt his stomach knot with dread as the words reminded him of the argument before their love-making. He nodded into that chest, his cheek pressing into the Demon's heartbeat, determined to feel and hear it.

"Promise me," Inuyasha replied, his voice wavering, unsure, "Promise you'll always come home to me…"

~To Be Continued...

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter, quite a few problems on the mend now. Hope you liked the little insert of Kazuki's standing up for himself against, essentially his biggest fear. Thought that'd be a nice thing to add in. Next chapter they confront Hikireimaru at last, I'm so sad this story is coming to a close but at the same time I'm also kind of happy since you guys finally get to see what I've been planning for three years lol XD

Please review! ^.^ Be very happy kitty if you do lol

Shigure-san

x chuu x


	38. The Silver Curtain

Author's Note:

**Sorry that this is so late! Had a problem with my account (Error 2) that came up when trying to update this story. But it looks as if it's been solved now thanks to the Admin.**

Nearly there people! Eep! So close to the end. Here is the battle chapter, I hope you are not too dissapointed in it since I worked really hard on it. It's a long-arse chapter that's for sure XD Hope you dont find it too grilling to read in one sitting lol. Here it is, and we're even closer to the end 0_0 ack!

**_Warning for blood, quite alot of gore and violence and occasional swear words. Please enjoy!_**

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Chapter Thirty-Eight

_The Silver Curtain_

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The sun swept behind a patch of dark ominous cloud. A foreboding dimness settled over the regiments of demons and humans alike beneath the storm-gray blanket of sky, that reached far beyond what the eye could see. Inuyasha embraced his daughter tightly, pressing her head under his nose as he inhaled her. Why did it feel like the last time he would ever smell her - see her again? Sesshomaru stood close by, regarding him and their pup closely as they stood atop their side of the great expanse of the canyon below. An odd look flickered in his eyes, but Inuyasha knew what it meant, and quickly diverted his gaze to his fretting little girl.

"You stay with Rin and Kazuki, you understand me?" He pressed, his voice low, urgent. She merely sobbed into his chest and he forced her head up so that she may look him in his eyes which glistened with unshed tears. "Stay with them no matter what."

She went rigid at his seriousness and nodded hastily, watching him with cautious, wide eyes.

Sesshomaru stepped forwards after offering a final glance to the darkening sky. He could smell _their_ approach. The time for battle was dawning, and he wanted Tsukihime far and away from the battlefield before Hikireimaru got here. His arms reached out, encircling his pregnant mate and their pup. A low purr just for them reverberated through the embrace and he raked his fingers through Inuyasha's tresses as he laid a kiss on their daughter's head. "Take care, `Hime. It will all be alright."

She shook her head, clearly not believing him, and sank her claws into his kimono in an attempt to stay.

"You'll be safe, Tsukihime," Inuyasha assured her, his eyes stinging with tears he was determined would not fall before the watching regiment behind them. "You know what I mean." With those words, she inclined her head to look on Inuyasha, with eyes so much older than the child she was. "He will never haunt you again after this, I swear it."

Suddenly, an overwhelming ping of guilt, of emotion swamped his constricted chest, and Sesshomaru plucked his daughter's claws from his kimono, taking her from Inuyasha's arms without looking at her. They had to do this now. Not only to get her away before Hikireimaru arrived, but because if they didn't, he would never be able to let her go…

"I do not think I need to tell you to guard her with your life," he stated expressionlessly to the newly mated youths, his _wards_ that sat astride a transformed Kilala's back. The cat demon purred her assurance of her assistance also, and Sesshomaru offered her a pat on the head as he handed his struggling, screaming daughter up into Kazuki's strong embrace.

Rin locked her arms around Kazuki's body, and Tsukihime's also, securing her, though the Human's dark eyes remained clouded with emotion as she stared down at the Demon Lord, whom she had not been distanced from for years. He stared carefully up at the three of them - his children, no matter what blood may indicate in some cases, and as they returned his gaze, for what may have been the last time, he knew they understood that.

"Just…both come home safe," Kazuki whispered, his voice choked. Rin remained silent with her surging emotions, burying her face into her Mate's shoulder blade. Sesshomaru nodded, a silent, crumbling wreck as Inuyasha reached up, his fingers tracing Kilala's fur dotingly.

"Go, now," Inuyasha breathed, "Make sure you're all safe when this is all over or they'll be hell to pay."

Kazuki smirked at Inuyasha's words. "You once rescued me, kept me safe from a world that wanted to hurt me," the Young Demon replied thoughtfully. "Today I shall repay you for that, I promise…they'll be safe."

There was a moment, where the world stilled, where Inuyasha's breath froze in his lungs as he watched those they were responsible for rise from the ground, fleeing as a swiftly fading speck in the skies. Something in him broke. He hadn't betted on how hard it was to let them go, even if they were going to get through this - he _hoped_…

"It is not too late for you to accompany them if you so wish," came Sesshomaru's quiet, last attempt to get him out of harm's way. Inuyasha turned slowly back to him, surveying the unvoiced pleading in those eyes he had come to adore so thoroughly. This was his last chance to retreat. But there had never really been any chance, any opportunity to back away, regardless of the pups in his belly. Somewhere along the line, Sesshomaru had become _everything_, and there was never, _ever_ any choice to let him head in to face his potential doom alone. _They asked me to break our bond and leave him before our mating ceremony,_ he recalled vividly, _he asked me to leave him, but the choice has never been there, it has always been made up._

Inuyasha shook his head, summoning his d_emon's_ claws, appearance, _strength_ from the darkness he now controlled. A low, assuring growl brewed in the back of his throat. "This demon skin is stronger than a _half-demon_, it'll protect our pups, don't worry."

Sesshomaru, not seeming convinced, raised a hand to brush the backs of his claws over a lilac-crested cheek thoughtfully. With his demon so close to the surface of his mind, Inuyasha could not stifle the low purr that Sesshomaru touch drew from his lips.

"I'll be careful," he growled, tilting his cheek into that warmth, his demon bleeding away for now.

"I'll be right next to you," the Demon Lord countered, a breeze of a kiss brushing over where his claws had been, before he tore himself from his Mate's warmth, beginning to descend to the battlefield, Inuyasha and the others close behind.

The canyon was red, and angry and vast. Sesshomaru headed the masses down through a safe path, and Inuyasha cradled his stomach as he gingerly followed, holding many up behind him. The Demon Lord turned to offer his assistance a few times, but after being swatted aside in temper by a hormonal half-demon, gave up swiftly.

_I'm not an invalid,_ Inuyasha snarled mentally, determined to be something _other_ than nuisance for once.

Suddenly, his cautious footing caught on a loose stone and his foot slipped out from under him. Everything happened so quickly, he swore he saw Sesshomaru spin on his heel to reach him, but it was not he who caught him before he hit the ground…

"You are alright, Inuyasha?" That soft, melodious hum was unmistakable, and Inuyasha hastily scrambled to his feet with her aid, his cheeks dusting with embarrassment as Lady Sachinatsu surveyed him carefully, evidently confused at his humiliation in her assistance.

"_Lord_ Inuyasha," Sesshomaru interjected. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, elbowing his sibling in the ribs hard.

"Hush up with that, will ya?" he grumbled, Sesshomaru merely regarded his mother for a moment, before continuing on his path down into the canyon.

Sachinatsu smiled thoughtfully, moving up to Inuyasha's side as they both followed after the Demon Lord.

"I'm sorry about him," Inuyasha murmured, wondering just when he had become the one apologising for _Sesshomaru's_ rudeness!

"It will take him a while to decipher how to react to me again," she replied simply, subtly offering her arm when he wavered slightly. Inuyasha glanced up to her, noting that she did not meet his gaze, the fact making it easier to silently accept the aid.

The chasm lay still before them as they reached the bottom. The dry, angry earth beneath felt hot and menacing beneath Inuyasha's feet. He slipped away from Sachinatsu and the others to stand just before their followers, at Sesshomaru's side. They did not touch; he did not need to, aside from the subtle brush of his knuckles over the back of Sesshomaru's arm. The Demon Lord sighed heavily at the contact, staring across the endless gorge for sign of their enemy. He would not meet his eyes and Inuyasha was grateful to that, he wasn't sure he could handle it…

"I wish I could know that you were safe," Sesshomaru whispered.

"I think that's impossible," Inuyasha assured him, his voice tinted with amusement, "Trouble seems to find me."

"Something we finally agree on." Sesshomaru faced the angry sky and struggled to find his warrior's mask, the void he could stow his emotions - his _life_ inside, leaving only the mission at the forefront of his mind. But the empty space was now overwhelmed with Inuyasha and their life together. He was so full up of _everything_ that there was no place large enough to hide it all.

"I suppose if I had forced you to hide, you would have found a way to bring yourself to harm." The smallest smiles tipped his lips, and he thought for a moment before adding, "Yes, at least this way I can keep an eye on you."

"Keh, I don't need to me watched like a wayward pup," Inuyasha griped, his ears perking up at the sound of Sesshomaru's quiet chuckle.

Inuyasha raised his head to stare up at his sibling at last. The furious colours of the heavens glistened in his Mate's silver mane, and Inuyasha considered him, in all his perfection before words he never intended to voice aloud, tumbled past his lips. "You're beautiful," he breathed, wincing as the ridiculously embarrassing endearment escaped him. Sesshomaru turned his smile on him again, and the humiliation was almost worth it - _almost_.

"LOOK OUT!"

Those words shocked them from their reverie, shattering their flight from reality and in that instant, their eyes shot skywards - a downpour of arrows descended over them. Everyone threw themselves to the ground, some screamed. Sesshomaru threw himself over Inuyasha's body and all Inuyasha saw was a flash of brilliant, sapphire flames, before the Demon Lord covered him.

Sesshomaru daringly rose his head at that flash of light, and he felt something in his stomach lurch at the sight of Nannami and Takara. They stood amongst the many crouched battlements, side-by-side and facing the storm of chaos rapidly falling over them. Their hands were joined, and their fire erupted. The elemental flames surged like a tidal wave, sweeping over the bodies they protected and lurching into the sky, swallowing the threat whole.

Nannami winced, sweat beading across her honey-toned flesh and a quick glance towards her other half proved the effects of the fire were mirrored. "We're out of practice," she offered to Takara. Her Demon smiled when the fire above evaporated as if it had never been, though it seemed to linger in his eyes a little longer as he gazed upon her.

"We shall no doubt attain just that very soon, Dearest," he replied, as the horizon darkened with the unmistakeable shadow of their enemy's vast numbers.

"Coward," Sesshomaru hissed in direction of the advancing foe, as he and the others rose in their places. "This kind of spinelessness is beyond reproach-"

"He doesn't care about honour," Inuyasha cut across him, bitterness savaging his body as the cause of all his misery and sleepless nights over the last few years, neared them swiftly. "He wants to win, that's all he cares about - he'll sink to anything, we have to be careful."

"Indeed," was all that the Demon Lord offered in reply, more occupied with the shadow that had been looming over them for so long, coming into the light at last. This would all end now, one way or another.

Across the ashes, the dead and infertile dirt, a wicked smirk they knew all-too well shone like the fangs of a wolf before it leapt in for the kill. Hikireimaru beamed manically, before making his slow approach. Sesshomaru stiffened, shifting a little more before Inuyasha at the Beast's approach, but Inuyasha remained unfazed. He would not cower of tremble at the brute's feet, not when he knew the vile intentions it held for his daughter.

"Surrender," Sesshomaru demanded when the dark-haired Demon came to a halt before them, fearless. His smile merely broadened.

"It is you who should surrender now, Young Lord, there is no pain, nor torment you can bestow that will say me. But you…you stand to lose it all…" He punctuated his words by flicking his gaze to Inuyasha's swollen stomach.

Inuyasha snarled, lunging forwards and raking his caws through the skin of Hikireimaru's cheek - still marred by Nannami and Takara's fire, all those years ago. Hikireimaru smiled, swiping at the blood racing from the wound and lapped at his crimson-stained claws.

"I'll rip out your forked-tongue before your stubby little fangs get anywhere _near_ my pups!" Inuyasha spat.

"And here I was offering mercy for those who begged-"

"I _don't_ beg - I am no one's dog," Inuyasha retorted.

"As you wish," he chuckled, "Perhaps I will tell Touya of you if she does not recall you of her own volition. I did so love your fine-"

"End this now," Sesshomaru demanded, his arm outstretched to keep Inuyasha in place. "Go back to your ranks and ready for the attack."

"As you wish, Lord Sesshomaru," Hikireimaru hissed, offering Inuyasha a final ominous glance before returning across the battlefield that would soon be dressed with blood…

"This is it…" Inuyasha breathed.

"Indeed." Sesshomaru nodded, "So the end begins." And then chaos erupted.

The armies leapt forward with roars meant to instil fear. Sesshomaru caught Inuyasha, bringing him tight against his side as the swarms flew past. Inuyasha winced, allowing the protection momentarily (for his pups' sake) and pressing his head into Sesshomaru's shoulder to avoid inhaling the dust brought up by the stampede. Another final sound of cries from the ranks filled the air, until the song of metal and claws clashing stretched across the battlefield and they met their enemy.

Inuyasha stepped back, watching the first wave snarling and biting. Almost reluctantly, his fingers swept over Sesshomaru's arm before drawing away slowly. He glanced up at those eyes meaningfully and offered a smirk. "If you kill that ass without me, I'll be pissed," he promised.

"Of course," Sesshomaru nodded once before tearing ahead into the oncoming assault. Inuyasha watched as they surrounded them, his smirk never faltering as lilac crest bled across his cheeks and his exposed fangs grew. His claws clicked on the hilt of Tetsusaiga as he drew it and it transformed in his hands. He hadn't fought like this for a long time, but it wasn't like he could forget how…

Blood leapt up, surging for the heavens. Inuyasha snarled, his body delighting in the rush battle brought him and Tetsusaiga pulsed delightfully as it tore through his attackers. One side-stepped him, gnashing his teeth and leaping in, claws ripping across Inuyasha's stomach. The assailant wailed in agony, pulling the hand he had attacked with close to his chest, his fingers slowly melting away. The Half-demon stumbled back a little from the force - that bastard Hikireimaru must have told them where to aim. Fury surged through his throbbing veins at the thought. The sword flew into the air, slicing clean through the demon.

As the separate slices of dead flesh tumbled to the ground, Inuyasha brought his hand to his perfectly unharmed stomach through the gashes in his fire-rat kimono. There was a gentle hiss of Sesshomaru's poison protecting his skin. He smirked broadly, remembering the sensuous feeling of his mate laying a shell of his poison around his body - doing him no harm but eating away at any inch of demon or human flesh that dared to touch him. It wouldn't protect from metal but it would make short work of flesh and bone.

Spinning on his heel, Inuyasha brought the Tetsusaiga up to block the blow sailing for the back of his head. The Demon gasped in surprise at his speed.

"Thought I'd be easy prey?" Inuyasha growled, his demon simmering over his coarse voice. He shoved he blade down into the foe's shoulder, watching the agony tearing across his face and his body ripple and give under his fang.

"BURN!" Nannami hissed across the battlefield, the extreme use of her powers bringing beads of sweat cascading down her flesh. The circle of bloodthirsty, mindless beasts scratching and clawing to reach her screeched with pain as the cerulean flames ate them away into dust. Her crimson eyes cast back a few paces away, where Takara's back faced her.

A sharp roar brought her back to the Demon lunging for her throat. Her hand reached out, seizing the brute by his shoulders. It struggled it squealed and snapped at her spitefully. She sneered and spat in it's face before sending the searing flames he had been gifted at birth down her arms, both of their bodies erupting into fire.

Suddenly, a scream from behind her cut across the dying squeals of the demon and she threw him from her, in time to see a mortal blade spear her mate's shoulder. "Takara!" She watched him rake his claws through his attacker's face and wrench the sword from his body. He stumbled back, tumbling onto his backside in the dirt.

Nannami flew forwards, the surrounding bodies colliding unhelpfully, impeding her footsteps. "Takara!" She cried out again as the attacking demon growled before raising the sword above its head. Below it, Takara flinched, readying for the blow. And terror ripped through Nannami's body - she was too far away!

"Move, fool!" A feminine voice sang through the chaos. Takara jumped as the demon above him jerked in sudden pain, a clawed hand protruding through his chest for a moment. Another hand seized the blade the Demon's stunned palms clung to, wrenching it from it's grasp and tossing it to the side uselessly. The fist piercing it's torso shot back and it's body tumbled uselessly to the ground, leaving Lady Sachinatsu to flick the unworthy blood from her claws as she stared casually down at Takara.

"Did it not occur to you to move?" She chimed softly, offering her unsoiled hand to help him up. He took it, all-too aware that this was his former mistress - but there was not a trace of the woman she had been then.

"You saved me," he said.

"Would you have preferred I allowed your mate to watch you fall?" She asked, gesturing to the fiery-haired female that stumbled to their side.

"Thank you!" Nannami gasped to the woman she had loathed for so long, even as she caressed Takara's face to ensure he was alright. "_Thank you_!"

"And thank you," Sachinatsu nodded slightly, "You loved my son when I was not able to, you made him a good man - I can never repay you enough." She spun then, knocking aside the brute that had dared to attack from behind and flying into the heart of the turmoil once more.

Wind whistled across their ears like the screams of a mad-woman and Kazuki hissed in pain as the struggling infant in his arms sank her tiny teeth into his arm. "Enough, Tsukihime!" He declared, pulling determinedly at a flickering puppy ear until she released him. Her cries silenced to choking, dry sobs as she leant back into the warmth of his body - the air chilling her spitefully.

"She wants to go back," Rin noted quietly, sympathising her _sister's_ emotions.

"It's too dangerous," Kazuki stated rigidly, his back straight even as the wind tried to wrench his neck to the side with rabid force, seizing his lilac strands and whipping them about his face and neck viciously. "And it is more that she has never been so far from Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's scents…it's alarming to her."

Suddenly, beneath them, Kilala lurched furiously. Kazuki threw himself hard against her back, trapping Tsukihime safely there. Behind him, Rin screamed, losing her grip on his waist and sliding down Kilala's back. She reached out frantically, seizing a rough fistful of the fur at the cat's rump. The cat-demon screeched, but curled her tails around the falling human, keeping her in place as she swooped. And Kazuki saw the reason for their sudden turbulence.

"Keep going!" He called out, despite the howl of the world trying to scream over him. Right behind them, drawing ever-closer, five dark silhouettes cast against the clouds. Shrill, unearthly screeches cut through their senses. They winced and Tsukihime folded her small hands over her ears with a cry. Hunters burst through the skies behind them, dark, reptilian creatures bridled as their rides. They didn't look _unlike_ AhUn, but with only one head, and scales as dark as night - and furious, and _hungry_!

Arrows soared through the air after them. Kilala dived, the wind nearly tearing her charges from her back. Narrowly avoiding the assault, the menacing bash of the enemy fighting through the air pursued them. A shadow loomed above, flying over them like a hawk waiting to ensnare its prey.

"Kilala! Dive! Get us down into the forest! We need to get away!" Kazuki called out, but at that moment a beast from above bolted into their cat-demon's side, sending her body into temporary spasms.

"Kazuki!" Rin screamed, slipping streadily through Kilala's hold, the fanged, reptilian mouth of one of their pursuers snapping at her - famished. Kazuki looked back to her desperately, then to the little girl in his care.

"Hold onto me!" He insisted, and pulled her close to his chest, feeling her claws knot into his kimono. Satisfied she was secured, he kept an arm round her, using the other and his knees to grip Kilala's fur as he struggled towards where Rin was barely hanging on.

The Hunter's steed snarled in her ear, its vile breath fogging her senses as it lunged, sinking its fangs into her shoulder. She screamed.

"Kazuki!"

Kazuki threw himself forwards, pressing Tsukihime beneath his chest to secure her and curing the hand that had held her into the cat-demon's fur. The other swiped across the muzzle of the creature shaking his mate like a ragdoll. The beast drew back with a blood-curdling howl and Kazuki seized his mate's arm, pulling her up to Kilala's back once more.

"Hold on!" He told her, Kilala's body swaying madly in the air as their assailants battered either side of her, each time reaching for her cargo. Kazuki surveyed them carefully, judging their moves before pressing Rin and Tsukihime into the nape of Kilala's neck. "Keep yourself and Tsukihime on!" He shouted above the maddening sounds of their attack and the traitorous wind combined.

Unsteadily he rose to his feet, swiping his talons across the face of the nearest hunter. The Hunter snarled at him, swiping him across the chest so that he stumbled. He could not fall. His toes gripped Kilala's fur (he made a mental note to apologise for their pawing at her later) and he steadied himself quickly to catch the wrist that lunged for him, snapping it cleanly.

It screamed, it spiralled. Kazuki kicked the beast it rode sharply in the side and it fell away into the musty air below. Suddenly, Rin's cry of his name sliced through his ears. He spun on his heel, screaming as talons hooked the flesh and muscle at his shoulders. The Hunter anchored itself on his body and pulled forwards onto Kilala.

Kazuki snapped with a feral snarl at his face, baring his fangs. The Hunter reciprocated, but as he did so, the crimson-eyed demon boy seized his throat with his mouth, shaking the yielding mass of flesh there before ripping it out.

Spitting the gore from his mouth, Kazuki watched with a mix of victory and disgust as the Hunter struggled to _scream_. He had trained, he had _fought_ but he hadn't killed before. But that innocence was his downfall. The remaining two hunters fell to either side of Kilala, the one behind Kazuki leaping to sink it's fangs into his shoulder. The Demon boy screamed, throwing his head back to the side and cracking his skull into the assailant's. "Get off me!" He snarled wildly, bringing his elbow back to crack the beast _hard_ in the softness beneath his ribcage. He felt it waver behind him, felt it gasp for breath. He jabbed his fist up into it's throat and it fell back into the fog of nothingness far, far below.

The monster whose throat spilled it's blood over him, still had its claws locked in his shoulders and as Kazuki's eyes shot back to the remaining (unharmed) hunter that flew at Kilala's other side, he saw what was about to happen. The hunter smirked menacingly, before seizing his dying comrade's body, that was still locked with Kazuki's. Kazuki screamed, his body propelled forwards by the claws lodged in his tender flesh, sending him and the two hunters sailing through the air.

He heard Rin scream, he watched, (his eyes _burning_ with the effort to do so) as above, Kilala fell too. The Hunter whose ride he had scratched was back beside her and Rin's cries all-but burst his ears. He was falling - he was _still_ falling. Would he ever reach the ground?

Inuyasha cried out as Tetsusaiga was knocked free of his hand. He backhanded the creature lunging for him, watching him fly back in the dirt, lost in the sea of battle. Golden eyes searched the madness for sign of his Father's sword and on sight of it he darted forwards.

Suddenly a sharp, violent tug on his hair stilled him. He winced, crying out in fury as a hard fist knotted in the hair at the back of his head, shaking him like a limp dog. "Get off me!" Inuyasha screamed, that chilling, degrading laugh shuddering along his spine.

"Struggle, Inuyasha!" Hikireimaru's crooned, his free hand coming about to caress his stomach - the hiss of Sesshomaru's poison warning him off. "Quiver and shake you pathetic little _half-breed_!"

"Pathetic? Want to talk about _pathetic?_" Inuyasha snarled, struggling round to snap at the arm holding him. His fangs slid into Hikireimaru's vile, bitter flesh, his blood flooding through the still very _demon_ Inuyasha's mouth. The dark Demon cackled madly at the pain, but released Inuyasha in any case.

Inuyasha glared at him, spitting the revolting blood from his mouth. "You want to rape my three-year-old _daughter_! That's not only pathetic it's fucking _sick_!"

"That is love, Lord Inuyasha," Hikireimaru explained simply, approaching him slowly.

"That _isn't_ love! Love is self-sacrifice and _enduring_! You should have waited for her to be older and come to her in a _decent_ way if you-"

"Don't you DARE!" Hikireimaru lunged, knocking Inuyasha hard onto his backside before descending over him like a mountain cat going for the throat. Inuyasha screamed as the bastard's fangs sank into the sensitive place of his mating mark, his body shaking with furious fits of spasms. Across the field, he felt Sesshomaru return his cry of pain.

Hikireimaru chewed his shoulder spitefully, shaking him again until liquid pain pricked Inuyasha's eyes and his screams ascended into words. "No! STOP!" The dark Demon licked at the gaping wound sickeningly, drawing back a little to survey the Half-demon's face, his blood still dripping from his mouth.

"I waited _years_ for Touya…I endured endless torment and loneliness and _agony_. You - who could not wait a few mere _centuries_ for your priestess before moving into your own _brother's_ bed - do not _dare_ judge me!"

Inuyasha flinched at the insult more than his wound.

"You forced me into my brother's bed, so that I would conceive Tsukihime you dirty, manipulative-"

"Do not deny it!" A mad, dishevelled looking Hikireimaru declared furiously, the image of a starved beast overcoming his once handsome features. "You had countless ways out but you stayed - I even hear your precious _brother_ offered to take you back to her and you refused. You can pretend all you like but you have forsaken your priestess for the comfort of your brother's _cock_!"

"_WIND SCAR!_"

Inuyasha's eyes widened at the resonating call, a blinding ball of light hurtling past him. Through the crackling heat of energy, Inuyasha saw the silhouette that made his wounded mark jump. He screamed as he brought his legs up, kicking Hikireimaru hard in the chest and sending him hurtling backwards into the path of the Wind Scar, just as it tore through the hundreds, upon hundreds of the next wave of Hikireimaru's army (that had been lunging in for the attack).

Scrambling out of the way breathlessly, Inuyasha clutched his stomach carefully as he stumbled to his feet. He was protected from physical blows, but not from collisions to the floor in clumsiness. A sudden, unyielding grasp on his unwounded shoulder steadied him on his feet, spinning him into Sesshomaru's chest.

Inuyasha's mouth opened to form speech but he watched Sesshomaru shake his head, a finger covering his lips and tilting his head to the side gently. His wounded skin burned at the strain on it, and he winced visibly. "Sesshomaru-"

"You are injured," Sesshomaru breathed, his exhalations making Inuyasha shudder despite the slaughter ensuing around them. His demon lover's mouth caressed his wound tentatively, before his tongue risked out to trace the bloody mess, healing him slowly.

"N-Not the _time_!" Inuyasha insisted, even as his eyes fluttered shut and his pups offered him a warning kick to still him.

Sesshomaru said nothing, made no noise except for a slow hum and Inuyasha tried to relax, (knowing that it would work faster if he did so) feeling the wounds close under his mate's tongue. "You…you used Tetsusaiga to save me?" He gasped.

"Hmm," Sesshomaru replied simply, drawing back a little once his task was done, to regard his mate's healed, but still raw throat carefully. He watched Inuyasha shudder as the renewed, iridescent scar was touched and felt his own mark twitch warmly in kind. He was alright, the connection was still there. "Of course, I touched it before now, when saving you from Hikireimaru's clutches."

"Yeah," Inuyasha recalled dimly, separating himself from Sesshomaru carefully.

"Be not so reckless, Inuyasha," The Demon Lord warned, "Some wounds I cannot heal." His golden gaze dropped to his mate's swollen stomach for a moment, before a manic, shrill laughter filled the air.

The dust settled, menacingly slow and the shadow that was Hikireimaru stepped out from the cloud of dirt, spitting blood from his mouth with a chilling smile touching his would-be perfect lips. "And here I was fearing this battle would be an anti-cimax to years of waiting," the Demon sneered, reaching for the sword at his side and drawing it with his one remaining good arm, the other hanging limp and torn from his shoulder. The blade glistened under the red sky and Inuyasha tensed, his hand reaching for Tetsusaiga in his brother's hand - he froze as he felt the wetness there. Sesshomaru was hurt.

"Sesshomaru, you-"

"It is nothing, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru promised, allowing his mate to take their father's fang from him, his eyes never leaving Hikireimaru's approaching figure, nor the sword swaying menacingly in his grasp. Blood raced down Sesshomaru's right arm and through the pristine, white fabric of his kimono, even splashing his fur with the frightful fluid. The Demon let his fur crawl soothingly to caress Inuyasha's stomach.

"Do not lose sight of him, Inuyasha - even for me, or our lives are forfeit in any case…"

"I am but toying with you, _My Lords_," Hikireimaru cooed frightfully, "I will finish this now for you, and put an end to your torment." He bolted forwards, as if propelled by lightning and Inuyasha shoved Sesshomaru back harshly, swatting his wounded body from harm's way. Tetsusaiga held before him, and he swiped wildly at the dark Demon, snarling victoriously as his blade caught that vile flesh. Hikireimaru smirked dangerously, more blood flooding from his mouth.

"Count no victories before they are won, little Half-demon!" His cruel eyes flicked to the side and Inuyasha followed his gaze, his heart jumping in horror as he saw a cluster of Hikireimaru's men, fighting to contrain a raging Kazuki and Rin, their cat-demon companion pinioned spitefully to the ground. He could smell their shedding blood - they were hurt. Where was Tsukihime?

Suddenly, Hikireimaru lunged, his claws seized Tetsusaiga's blade. Light flashed up, flaring in protest of the Demon's touch. The smell of blood and burning skin filled Inuyasha's nostrils. Hikireimaru's fingers bled as they clenched around the blade, shoving the hilt roughly back into Inuyasha's stomach.

Sesshomaru's voice filled the air. Inuyasha hurtled backwards, skidding into the dirt before smashing into the side of the canyon they fought in. His body shuddered from the impact. He was choked, winded. He stared down at the settling dust and the blood that leaked from his mouth onto it. A crushing, startling agony crept across his abdomen and he clutched it desperately, blood gathering in his kimono out of his backside. He did not move. He'd killed them with his recklessness…

"Inuyasha!"

The Half-demon let his demon's crests and attributes fall from his body, not raising his eyes to his mate's enquiring, desperate calls. _You should have let him protect you, those injuries of his were nothing to what he has had before - now look what you have done?_

"Inuyasha?"

He sneered wretchedly, clenching his fists spitefully until his claws bit into his palms. He was dimly aware of Sesshomaru's collision with Hikireimaru, very dimly. He heard his name called again, and again. Sesshomaru's warm hands were at his cheeks, stroking his face and coercing him to look up into his eyes. Inuyasha flinched as he looked at the concern there, he deserved no such emotion.

"Inuyasha, the pups are they…are you…?" He trailed off, the smell of Inuyasha's blood potent and flooding his senses. The Half-demon merely dropped his head, his body tensing when that laughter returned.

"Such a pity," Hikireimaru purred revoltingly, bringing his sword up to lick the blood he had drawn from Sesshomaru from the blade. "I offered mercy but you would not take it, and now you have lost three pups instead of offering me the one. You shall now watch…" He paused, most likely for effect, aiming the sword at the two of them. "…As I make you lose each other. Suffer, both of you, as I have suffered…"

The blade _rang_ deafeningly and Inuyasha felt Sesshomaru snatch the blade of Tetsusaiga from his limp hand. The fang roared to life once again in the Demon Lord's hands as he stood before his fallen half-brother, his golden eyes fading into red threateningly. "Fall for the pain you have inflicted on me and mine," Sesshomaru snarled ferociously, and he dove forwards.

Metal met metal with an almighty screech. Fangs tore through hard, iron flesh and blood painted the skies, the air, the dirt they fought upon. Death clung to each blade's tip menacingly, but it was who it should be dealt to that was undecided. Hikireimaru cursed blindly as Tetsusaiga sliced into his shoulder. Sesshomaru sneered with glee, his demon soaring to the surface as his claws of his free hand shot forwards, plunging through the dark Demon's chest. He felt tissue and muscle crumble in his hand as he whipped it back but Hikireimaru only laughed frenziedly.

"Such pretty colours your boy makes," Hikireimaru chuckled, gesturing with his head back to where Inuyasha was struggling to his feet, blood racing down his thighs. The golden hue of Sesshomaru's eyes returned as he glanced back at Inuyasha - to his fault. Hikireimaru swiped the Tetsusaiga from his grasp, throwing Sesshomaru to the side. The Demon Lord winced, his bones crunching ominously as he flew into the cliff face.

Hikireimaru swept across the ground, swinging the blood-laced sword in his grasp, before hurtling it towards Inuyasha. The Half-demon flinched, but wasn't quick enough to move. He dropped as the sound of metal soaring through flesh tore through the air and his eyes flew open. Sesshomaru spluttered, choking on the blood bubbling sickeningly up through his mouth.

Stumbling forwards, inuyasha caught him just as the Demon Lord ripped the blade from his body, throwing it aside so that it skid carelessly across the dirt into Hikireimaru's feet. He winced, stifling his own sounds of agony through clenched teeth, even as his crimson life's blood stained them. Inuyasha stared at him, searching his face with wild, confused eyes as his heart thudded madly in his chest. This _wasn't_ happening!

"Sesshomaru?" He asked carefully, bringing the Demon into the cradle of his arms. His mate nodded, sneering at his inability to stop the senseless gasps for breath. Inuyasha put pressure on his wound, brow knotting with determination to save him, but even through the torment he saw stretching across his older brother's face, he felt the Demon's fur petting him gently, attempting to soothe him.

"I know…" Sesshomaru choked out brokenly, "I know that you loved her, but I have loved you still - more than anything, do not blame yourself for not being able to reciprocate in…in kind…"

"Sesshomaru, don't," Inuyasha tried huskily, feeling his eyes glaze over. But Sesshomaru's voice seemed determined.

"I would not have had you…any different to…what you are."

Sesshomaru lay broken, bleeding in his mate's embrace. Everything happened so slowly. Hikireimaru's blade rose, glinting with the glare of the bloody sun. Inuyasha threw himself over the Demon Lord's body, silver hair spilling out onto the crimson-stained ground.

It seemed as if all sound died away from the battlefield. The bloodshed, the agony it raged on, as silent as the fire that burned in their hearts. A seemingly distant, muffled voice sounded, a man's voice, followed by a strangled, innocent cry. Inuyasha raised his head, Hikireimaru turned. A hunter stood a few feet away, a handful of silver hair in his grasp, Tsukihime screaming at his feet.

Hikireimaru dropped the blade stained with Sesshomaru's blood. Awe, _admiration_ and twisted yet sincere _love_ on crept across his face as he slowly approached the screaming little girl. Inuyasha's eyes widened, claws tensing and he jumped as a firm hand snapped to his wrist. Looking down, blood streamed from his mate's mouth, but those ever-fiery eyes stared into him, and he knew what they said…This was the end.

"Touya," Hikireimaru purred, flicking his fingers at the hunter, who released the infant instantly, allowing her to drop to her knees in the filth, crying for her parents who lay in a heap just a few feet away.

"Do not fear me, little one," the dark Demon crooned, standing over her. She stared up at him with wide, glassy eyes. "You may not remember me, but we are together again, and nothing else matters… We will never be apart again." As he spoke, tears pricked his crimson eyes and he caught his lip between his fangs. Centuries he'd waited for the moment he could embrace this soul again.

"I have searched and I would search a thousand times over to find you again," He knelt down just a short distance from the little girl, who eyed him warily, cries ceasing. His arms opened to her. "Come to me, Touya, and this violence can end."

The girl took a step back uneasily. "_`Hime_," she said quietly, her dulcet voice seeming to ring over the screams of the battle surrounding her. "My Papas call me Tsukihime - I am not Touya."

Hikireimaru frowned and leant back on his heels, staring at her in confusion.

Suddenly something crashed into his side, sending Hikireimaru skidding across the ground. Inuyasha scrambled from his feet as the demon recovered from his blow, darting to his daughter's side. She held her arms up to him as he snared her swiftly, pulling her to his chest. But spinning on his heel, a shadow fell over him.

Hikireimaru stood over him, a cold sneer mixed with throbbing heart-ache crossing his irrefutably stunning features (even when scarred). "It matters not what you do, little Half-demon, I have searched the ends of the earth to be able to hold her again, you will not keep her from me."

"I won't let you hurt her," The Half-demon growled, turning his baby's face into his chest so that she did not have to look upon the face of her nightmares.

"You think you can stop me, you couldn't stop me before in _this_ condition," He murmured with an evil smirk, gesturing to where Inuyasha's free arm circled his stomach protectively. "I have already ended it all, with one blow-"

"-You've taken everything! You're not getting my little girl-"

"-Give me the girl and she can live happy, unharmed, away from the madness of two armies fighting for her life." When Inuyasha did not move, Hikireimaru stepped a little closer. "Give her to me, or I will rip those dying things from your belly and _show_ them to you before I let your daughter watch you bleed to death."

Inuyasha flinched, holding his girl closer to him and shying backwards slowly, looking around for Takara, Nannami - _anyone_ that could help him. But he was alone in this, and if he died killing this demon, to save his family, as his father had done, as Sesshomaru had done, then so be it.

All of a sudden, that hard face changed from that of twisted, malicious fury to soft, sad longing. Inuyasha was undone, but still, did not move.

"For that priestess, would you not have ripped her reborn body from the arms of another, if it meant you could love her, and worship her, if it meant you could be together again? Can you honestly say you would not do the same, given the opportunity - to sacrifice the world to be with her again - give _anything_?"

Inuyasha stiffened. He had not thought of her in so long, and as if he were seeing her again, the memories came flooding back.

"_I'll never forget you…You won't…forget me?"_

"_How could I forget you?"_

He remembered the kiss, the agony, the tears. Would he do the same?

"_You need to understand, Inuyasha - My Inuyasha…"_ Sesshomaru's voice echoed in his ears this time and he caught his lip between his fangs defiantly. _"Close your eyes…_ _You know it is only I that could touch you like this… No one else can love you like this…"_

Looking over Hikireimaru's shoulder he saw his brother, the pristine beauty stained in blood - his blood, his life shed for _him_. He felt a tightness in his chest, a bone-shuddering misery. Sesshomaru wasn't beside him any longer because of him. Would he do the same for either his brother, or the priestess he'd so conveniently forgotten over the years?

"I loved Kikyo," He said simply, and Hikireimaru watched him carefully. "And when I saw Kagome for the first time, every love, hatred - _everything_ for Kikyo fell to Kagome, until I realised they were not the same, though their souls were one. They were as different as fire and ice, and the love I felt for both were as different as the elements themselves." He paused, his heart aching at the feel of nothing but cold, unforgiving air surrounding him. "I know you want to believe it, I can even see you love this `Touya', but Tsukihime isn't him."

Hikireimaru's jaw set, and that same sneer, the same anger returned. "It is Touya," he snapped, a snarl punctuating his words. "And I will have her regardless!"

Inuyasha flinched. Hikireimaru leapt forwards.

A gut-wrenching scream filled the air. Blood splattered across Inuyasha's front and he opened his eyes warily, tucking his girl's head protectively into his underarm, shielding her from the sight.

The blade that had tasted his brother's body sung, fresh blood falling from its surface, as it jutted grotesquely from Hikireimaru's chest.

Inuyasha's heart thudded madly, as Sesshomaru twisted the sword spitefully, widening the fatal gash in his enemy's abdomen, pure loathing etched into his features as he threw his weight into the weapon, drawing blood-curdling cries from the dark Demon.

"You hunt my daughter like a beast, you try to slay me and my family, touch and defile that which is most dear to me…love does not justify such vile, senseless acts," Sesshomaru growled despite his own agony, slicing upwards into Hikireimaru, not removing the blade. "If it was love that drove you, you would have never surrounded her with such mayhem and bloodshed. You foul, pitiful creature, you have no idea of the feelings you claim to profess."

"Get _off_ me, mongrel!" Hikireimaru screeched, blood weeping from the corner of his mouth as his arm stretched back, raking into Sesshomaru's already wounded shoulder, plunging into agonised flesh, delirious with madness.

"No stop!" Inuyasha dropped his daughter to her feet, seizing the discarded Tetsusaiga and throwing himself forwards gracelessly. Those cries coursed through the air, and the battle around them ceased, enemies alike stopping, dead-still, to gaze upon the two brothers, the younger's blade driving upwards alongside his mate's.

The three of them stood there, Inuyasha breathless, desperate, Sesshomaru's eyes glazed over with the lack of blood and Hikireimaru choking on his own demise. With dying effort, the Demon let out a gurgling screech, blood regurgitating up his throat as he shoved Inuyasha backwards, seizing Sesshomaru's shoulder and tossing him carelessly in the dirt beside him.

The ancient, shattered body shuddered to the floor. Inuyasha watched it fall carefully, as it plucked the blades from it's form, tossing them aside. But then it fell still, unable to muster another movement, just lying there in the crimson liquid pooling around him - spluttering revoltingly.

Sesshomaru too watched, trapped on his knees, coughing blood onto his brother's chest as the Half-demon's arms surrounded him, that younger, bloodied face pressing into his hair comfortingly. Careless to the thousands watching he allowed his blinded eyes to close, pressing up into the warmth his pregnant mate's body offered. Tsukihime screamed, and Inuyasha looked up, panicked to see her hurtling towards them. Kazuki, wrestling through the stunned masses, appeared from nowhere and scooped her up carefully, Rin at his side.

"T-The purpose of life…is an undecipherable, _L-Lord_ Inuyasha," Hikireimaru spluttered, still struggling for breath, for words laced with bitterness despite his imminent end.

Just then, Tsukihime let out a strange little sigh and the dying Demon turned his head with difficulty, to where Kazuki stood with her. A distorted, bloody yet sad smile befell the once beautiful lips of their, and Kazuki frowned, approaching slowly. Setting down on his knees, his _sister_ still in his embrace, he brought her into Hikireimaru's fading line of sight.

Hikireimaru smiled, the bliss shining through the gore, and the little girl titled her head, in the same way as her father, confused. "You will grow up strong, and beautiful, and happy," he choked, his bloody fingers tracing the shape of her face through the air. "I have seen it…and I know now we will be together again… I realise now, why this had to happen. And I will come for you. I will _find_ you, Tsukihime… I…will _deserve_ you…"

And the crimson, fiery light faded from those eyes. Kazuki pulled the girl into his chest, turning her away from the death, free-hand closing those dead eyes respectfully, before straightening back up, retreating to his mortal love's side.

For the first time since this had all begun, Inuyasha breathed fresh life into his lungs. The war died around them with Hikireimaru's last breath and a relieved smile fluttered across his lips, and he turned to his wounded mate, still in his embrace.

"It's over," he murmured, nuzzling the silver-haired head softly, "Sesshomaru we killed him, he's dead." Silence. He frowned, Heart stopping. "Sesshomaru?" When he got no answer again, he tilted his brother back (with no little amount of difficulty) to look into that peaceful face. His grip on the larger body tightened and he inhaled unsteadily, unwilling to let the salty river behind his eyes to spill. "Open your eyes," he choked, pulling up his kimono sleeve shakily; he wiped the blood from the still warm skin caringly. He caught his lip between his fangs as a tear streaked down his own dirty cheek.

"Open your eyes, dammit!" When there was no reply, not even a movement, he felt his vision fade behind the liquid misery swelling in his eyes. He pulled his brother into his chest more, unwilling to let his lustrous, already soiled body fall to the foul ground, stained with the unworthy Hikireimaru's blood. "I'm supposed to be stuck with you forever," he murmured, a low whine of a misery-stricken dog puncturing his gruff words. Inuyasha bowed his head forwards, forehead pressing to his brother's, his own rebellious, tresses forming a silver curtain between them and the watching world.

He could hear Takara's voice, directing the well to gather the dead and wounded. He heard Tsukihime screaming from Rin and Kazuki's embrace. Somewhere, far off, he could make out the sounds of his old friends, could barely hear Miroku and the others. The voices of his loved ones, and his relief and their survival did not overwhelm the loss of this voice in his ears, the most important of all…

Behind the silver curtain, the world died away, the voices fell on deaf ears. No one could see him behind the drapes; he let the river of tears sweep down his cheeks and onto the body beneath him. "What did you do a dumb thing like save me, huh?" He croaked, nuzzling his head defiantly under his mate's chin. "You say you're so unlike humans? All of them I ever...ever cared about...they left me - one way or another... so if you're so different from them..." His words trailed off to an angry, tortured growl, "Don't you damn well leave me here. Don't you die on me…!"

He thought back over the last three years or more. Before and after their daughter had changed their lives. His body shook with self-loathing and misery. He hadn't even told him how he felt. Every chance he'd had, he'd hesitated, pissed it away and now he would never have another chance again.

"D-Don't… Don't you _dare_ die! DON'T YOU DIE FOR ME!" He could hear the pleading sob in his voice, his pride crumbled but he couldn't find the strength to care. "I…I need you."

"I need you to-" That sudden voice at his chest was cut off by a rasping cough, and Inuyasha jumped, pulling back to stare into the writhing form of his older sibling, hacking up his own blood. "I need you to move a little, foolish Half-demon," Sesshomaru finished hoarsely and Inuyasha shifted swiftly, pulling his brother to a sitting position beside him, eyes wide.

"I…I thought you were-"

"-Dead? Foolish Half-demon," he murmured, golden eyes trained on those tear-stained cheeks, where his finger lifted slowly, wiping it dry, "Whatever gave you the impression I was going to die so easily?"

Inuyasha growled, throwing himself into the wounded Demon's open embrace, shuddering delightedly as that warmth surrounded him. He bit back his tears defiantly. He sure as hell was _not_ going to cry again, especially when the ass was awake to see it this time.

"Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked, sensing the Half-demon's advance towards the precipice of speech. But Inuyasha sat up slowly, avoiding the Demon's eyes, with a light, embarrassed flush to his soaked cheeks that he knew the older male loved. "You cried," The Demon Lord stated needlessly.

"Of course!" Inuyasha spat furiously, awkwardly. "What do you think I was…?" He grinded his teeth with a self-conscious growl. "I love you, you idiot!" Golden eyes rose then to meet that similar, searching gaze to gauge the reaction.

Sesshomaru's eyes were wide for a moment, lips still, silent. And suddenly he seized the back of his mate's neck roughly, bringing him crashing against his lips. Inuyasha gasped against him, Sesshomaru wincing, but not pulling away. "Foolish Half-breed," he crooned, pushing back rebellious strands from his lover's face. Inuyasha blushed darker, smiling slightly.

"Stop calling me that."

"Say it again," Sesshomaru answered, as stoically as ever, ignoring Inuyasha's former protest.

"No," the Half-demon growled half-heartedly, "Once is enough!"

"Stupid whelp."

"Uptight assmuncher." Inuyasha watched Sesshomaru smile at that one, remaining silent as he saw the Demon's mouth move to form almost silent words.

"I love you, Inuyasha."

"I'm still not repeating it," Inuyasha growled out, rousing a swift smile from those beautiful lips again as he was drawn up into another kiss, gentler, more careful than before. He suspected the euphoria was fading, and his brother's wounds were beginning to bother him more now. They drew apart slowly, scarce inches between them, gazes locked as tightly as their abused bodies.

"I love you too," the Half-demon admitted in a husky, grateful whisper.

Rising to his feet shakily, Inuyasha tugged his wounded sibling upwards (despite his protests) and cast a studying glance over his peculiar extended family, that stood watching in the distance. Kazuki gave a small nod, before releasing his hold on the struggling Tsukihime - and she bolted towards them like an arrow from a bow. She made a beeline for Sesshomaru's legs, about to slam into them and saved only by the Demon Lord's fur encircling her waist and bringing her up to Inuyasha's chest.

Dragging his claws soothingly through her hair, Inuyasha smiled exhaustedly, seeing Takara approach - no doubt to assess his lords. "You're alright, `Hime," Inuyasha assured her, a strange feeling creeping through his body. He winced, despite his words. It felt like his every limb would buckle.

"Inupapa?" The child asked, almost cautiously, as Inuyasha winced.

"Take Tsukihime," He gasped breathlessly, his body swaying. Takara seized the child from his arms, just as Inuyasha crumbled to the floor.

His vision blurred, he felt Sesshomaru touching his face in an attempt to keep him conscious. But Inuyasha shook his head, choking in spittle, struggling to find his voice through the dizzying pain. "Pups…" He growled out self-loathingly, before fading into darkness.

There was no doubt about what awoke him. There were a myriad of offensive smells clogging his nostrils, there were unbearably bright lights and the constant waves of sound, but he could not doubt what it was - it was the sheer, unbridled agony that ripped across his stomach at the precise moment that his lashes fluttered, that awoke him. And he screamed.

He felt the heat of his own blood bubble across his stomach as something sharp slid into his skin like he was butter. His flesh gave way, peeling back to the unyielding, sharp implement. Inuyasha was throttled by the pain, his eyes watering, reduced only to choking, stifled cries as he was cut open with painful precision.

"Inuyasha?" That voice, it nearly numbed the pain. He winced all-the same. It was warm and gentle in his ear, so soft compared to the spitefulness of everything else. The world was hazy, shaking like there was an earthquake - at least to his vision. He blinked, trying to get a hold of his senses, but they were going haywire, like he had been drugged with something!

"Takara! He is awake?"

"I could not guarantee the sedative with his Half-demon blood - it probably saw the sedative as a danger and eradicated it."

Inuyasha screamed again, his arms, his legs bunching to rise but pinned down by something insurmountable - it felt like leather, but his vision was not stable enough to assure him of that.

"Stop it!" Inuyasha heard Sesshomaru snarl, again, very close to his ear. "He can _feel_ it! He can feel the pain! Stop it! Give him something!"

"There is no time, the pups may be done for as it is - he will want them more than freedom from pain. Let me save them first, My Lord."

_Oh Gods!_ Inuyasha gasped mentally, his mouth moving wordlessly in an attempt to make that sound aloud. The pain was searing and precise, so precise that had he possessed his voice he would have screamed for Takara to make it stop - in that moment caring not about the consequences, if only for that moment.

The blade was gone then, a sharp flash of its stained edge flicking in Inuyasha's eyes with the light and the Half-demon regained his vision, just in time to see Takara looming over his stomach - just in time to see Takara's hands delve into his stomach. He nearly vomited with the sight of it.

Suddenly, Sesshomaru seized his cheek, turning his head to look up into the Demon Lord's careful, considering expression. "Don't look," The Demon instructed, his eyes glowing with something soft and anxious. "Don't, Inuyasha."

"Fucking…hurts…!" Inuyasha managed out, tugging at the restraints binding him to the bed - their bed. They had come home somehow when he had fallen to darkness. They were all alive? They were safe - save for him? "I-I'm sorry!" He choked out, shaking his head with the momentary madness the agony incited. "I killed them - Sesshomaru - I - I am - sorry!"

"Do not speak of such things, calm your-"

"MAKE IT STOP!"

Then, something in his stomach gave. He felt Takara pull his hands up and fought against Sesshomaru's hold on his face so that he may look. But when he felt the jerk on his guts, he was grateful for the restraint of his lover's hands.

"He is breathing," Takara said vacantly, and when the comfort of Sesshomaru's hands was taken away, Inuyasha turned his head to see Sesshomaru reached for the bloody little body Takara offered. "Wrap him in the blanket and keep him warm until I get the other out," Takara added carefully, turning his gaze back to the gaping hole of Inuyasha's stomach. Inuyasha stared down at the mass of gore that his body was currently, unable to tear his eyes away, their servant's voice humming softly in his ear as he spoke to himself. "If only there were not so many wounded, I need more help with this…"

"Tell me what to do," Sesshomaru demanded, looking to the silent, still baby boy in his arms, drenched in blood.

"They should not have been born yet," Takara explained, his hands delving into Inuyasha's stomach again, making the Half-demon jerk against his bonds with a silent cry. "They were dying inside him, the blow broke something - I know not what but I can guarantee they would have perished within the hour inside him, let us pray that this way they may be saved… I have never done this for a _male_ carrier, but a fair percentage of the demon women lived, as did their pups…."

"Inuyasha is but half demon," Sesshomaru said gravely, quietly, as if hoping his delirious love could not hear.

"No, but his ingenious blood has saved him before, we can but try-"

"Save them!" Inuyasha gasped as he felt Takara's hands inside him, gripping _something_ - he could not look anymore! "Save them, I don't care what happens to me!"

"Lie still," came that soft voice again, and Inuyasha followed it up to where Sesshomaru sat beside him, washing the wrinkled, bloody little form in his grasp carefully. Inuyasha strained his eyes to see, encouraged by the sudden cry that tore from those underdeveloped lungs as Sesshomaru dried him (_him_, a boy) and wrapped him carefully in a white blanket.

"He - ok?" Inuyasha struggled, a sickening cold, emptiness crossing his gut as something was pulled free. He never got his answer.

"My Lord," Takara stated urgently, "Lay the first beside Inuyasha and help me. Quickly, now!"

Inuyasha turned his head to brush against the wriggling little pink thing that was laid beside his head and it stilled, cries silencing as he surveyed it. A boy, he was clean and dark pink and tiny - probably as big as Sesshomaru's palm. Those puppy ears of his older sister and _`mother'_ were there, along with a good tuft of damp, silver hair, but as for those crests that both Sesshomaru and Tsukihime possessed, the newly born boy only had two, one on either cheek.

It felt like his body went numb as he gazed on him, wishing he could yank his arms free to encircle the child on the massive expanse of bed beside him. He would be grateful that he was still bound in a moment, when he heard exactly what those fast, hushed voices at the bottom of the bed were saying…

"He is not breathing," Sesshomaru panicked. But the azure-eyed servant ignored him, bringing a needle up to Inuyasha's gaping stomach and pulling the skin together for stitching quickly. "Takara!" Sesshomaru demanded.

"Lord Inuyasha will bleed to death if I do not sew him back up _now_-"

"I don't care!" Inuyasha screamed, struggling for freedom once more as his eyes shot to Sesshomaru and where the equally tiny, bloody child lay in his arms - still as death. "Bleed my dry! Fix _him_ first!" He insisted, but the Healer only cast him a fleeting glance, before continuing with his swift hand along the wound. He was a half-demon. It would heal quickly if the skin was forced to meet with the stitches, but with so much blood already lost, it had to be done _now_.

Sesshomaru looked between them, almost frantic, before lowering the dead pup to the end of the bed - taking him from Inuyasha's view.

"What's happening?" Inuyasha demanded, his vision swaying, body weakening. He felt like _he_ was dying. Whether it was the blood, the stress or the pain he was unsure, but he was slowly losing his grip on everything tangible, even the now crying baby at his side seemed hazy, unreal somehow, through the new fog of impeding unconsciousness.

Sesshomaru tilted the baby gently on it's front, still supporting it and it's head as best he could before slapping it firmly on it's back. It jolted. It gave an oxygen starved, gargling noise - thick matter clogging its throat. Sesshomaru stuck his blood-stained nails in his own mouth, chewing his claws off swiftly before swirling his fingers in his youngest son's mouth. Initially choking him, Sesshomaru winced as he scooped the vileness from his airway, allowing breath into his struggling lungs with the child's first cry.

On the bed, Inuyasha frowned at the sound, at the _two_ crying boys. Were they alright? He tried to voice as such, but the world was growing further away. Everything was fading together, almost as if he were missing great chunks of what was happening.

At first he heard Takara mumbling incoherently to Sesshomaru, then, while his body weakened, he heard a female voice - Nannami perhaps. So many voices passed him in unconsciousness, to the point where he didn't know who was really there anymore. Time was fleeting wherever he was, and the blanket of blackness was unyielding for what felt like an age.

After an eternity of darkness, he could make sense of the noises again. A soft whimpering that made his ears perk, voices - Nannami and Takara, all accompanied by a warm, gentle hand brushing his sweaty tendrils of silver hair back from his forehead.

"Young Sire," Takara breathed softly, coaxing his eyes to open. Inuyasha blinked, his eyelashes sticking together uncooperatively at first, until eventually they parted and he focused.

"Lord Inuyasha," Nannami said gently, her voice a little strained - she had been wounded then. "Are you ready to feed?" At first that didn't make sense, that was until he saw the white bundle in her arms and shot bolt upright. His body (particularly his stomach) protested madly at that and he winced, but it did not stop him from reaching for the whimpering boy in her arms.

"Easy now," Nannami cooed as if _he_ were the child (the way he imagined his own mother might if she were at his bedside right now). She saw the boy into his shaky arms, pressing him to his naked chest and Inuyasha lay back to better support the babe against himself. The same little boy, with the two lone crests and the huge golden eyes - so where was it's twin? His neck ached, and it seemed to protest movement, but as if sensing his concerns (probably reading them through the mark) Sesshomaru's soothing monotone came from beside him.

"He is here, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru assured him, and the creak of a chair sounded, just before the Demon Lord settled onto the bed beside him, tilting their second son so that Inuyasha didn't have to strain his neck to look at him.

"Identical," Inuyasha noted, with a slight frown as his older son found his sensitive nipple and sucked heartily. _He has my appetite then,_ he thought distantly, _fondly_…

"Identical but for the marks," Sesshomaru corrected quietly, his voice lost to exhaustion. "Our youngest has three." He gestured to the wide-eyed baby's left cheek, where two crests marked it, a single stripe adorning the other side.

"They're really small," Inuyasha said, hinting (at what part of him was too afraid to ask outright).

"They are premature," Takara explained as he and Nannami moved over to the bedroom door. "They would have certainly died if they remained inside you, your tumble into the cliff-face must have broken something pivotal to only their survival _inside_ you - they seem to be perfectly healthy, albeit small."

"They may need more vitamins than Tsukihime did," Nannami added, "To make up for the developing they missed out on inside of you - but it seems your ingenious body is once again compensating, and is producing what they need in the milk."

Inuyasha nodded, looking between the two twins thoughtfully. He had felt the pain but not the kind he had expected, and his stomach was healing, flattening already - it felt like he hadn't given birth without the clear, coherent memory of it. "Let me have the other one, too," Inuyasha said with a little tilt of his head to Sesshomaru. "He needs it."

Sesshomaru chuckled a little, laying down beside Inuyasha and supporting the second pup as it pawed at the Half-demon's chest, whimpering, distressed noises erupting from it's little mouth until it closed around the unoccupied nipple. Inuyasha jumped again from the sudden pressure of his starving son latching on and sucking so vigorously. It hurt a bit at first, at the sudden release of pressure, but then it eased to the feeling he had quite enjoyed with Tsukihime. Those golden eyes looking up at him - _both_ sets, they looked hazy and content, and he felt close to them.

The door closed and Sesshomaru lifted his head to see that Nannami and Takara had stepped out, a tiny, silver-haired girl left standing before the closed door in their place. She stared at the four on the bed with a narrowed, calculating stare - the image of Sesshomaru with that scowl crossing her features.

"Your brothers, `Hime," The Demon Lord purred, gesturing for her to come forward. She took a few tentative steps, before freezing again and Inuyasha looked apprehensively to his mate, who sat up a little straighter on the bed to look at their daughter. "Come, child, they won't go to sleep until they see you - they're waiting for you," Sesshomaru beckoned. Tsukihime's ears perked slightly with curiosity.

"Really?"

"Of course, come and see them."

She needed no more invitation. Puppyish curiosity peeked; she threw herself at the bed and clambered up eagerly, settling in the space Sesshomaru allocated, between her two parents. The Demon Lord's fur petted her soothingly and she giggled at the sensation of it tickling her, craning her neck to look at the babies. Helpfully, the fur lifted her up for her to see better.

"They are teeny," Tsukihime said, her eyes as wide as her siblings' as they gazed up at her with confusion, still feeding ravenously. "Which one is older?"

"This one," Inuyasha explained gently, indicating the older boy carefully. "They haven't got names yet." He was hinting and she turned her gorgeous, glistening orbs, (so full of wonder) to him. His heart ached with the sight of them, he didn't think he would ever love anything so much as the four bodies pressed into him.

"Can I name one?" Tsukihime asked with fascination. Inuyasha glanced up to Sesshomaru, who offered an agreeing nod.

"Of course you can," Sesshomaru assured her, hearing his daughter's sharp, excited intake of breath in response.

"Tsubasa!" She chimed with childish glee, pointing to the older one that had just finished his feed and was now yawning widely. _Wings?_ Inuyasha thought dubiously. It didn't sound like a name that a dog-demon would normally be given, but it was pretty enough and it made his daughter's eyes dance with delight.

"It quite suits him," Sesshomaru stated, as if reading his mate's thoughts. Inuyasha peered up at him through thick lashes and nodded with a small, flickering smile.

"Right then," He began, adjusting both boys on his chest more comfortably as the youngest ceased to feed too, both starting to doze lightly. "The other is Tsuyoshi, then," he decided, before glancing back up to the tentative Demon Lord that was settling Tsukihime down between them gently. _Strong_, that sounded fit for a son of theirs, particularly their youngest, who had been born _technically_ dead.

"We all sort of go together now!" Tsukihime realised excitedly, resting against Inuyasha's arm. She reached forwards timidly, tracing Tsubasa's little fingers with hers inquisitively for a moment, before moving to Tsuyoshi's - and then back again.

"You do," Inuyasha agreed with a quiet, exhausted sigh, resting his head back on Sesshomaru's shoulder. His eyes fluttered sleepily, a smile twitching at his lips as his Mate breathed relaxingly in his ear.

The silence, after such chaos and madness, after three years of fear, was astounding. Their children could grow now, free of imminent threats. His daughter's nightmare was over, they were safe…

"Hikireimaru," Inuyasha said, when he was sure Tsukihime had dozed off along with her brothers amongst their warmth - clearly tired from the ordeal as well. "He was mental but…he loved Touya… You could _see_ it. He went about it the wrong way; he hurt and destroyed anything in the name of love but… He wasn't always insane, he wasn't…he was just in love."

"Hmm," Sesshomaru agreed, leaving a thoughtful pause between Inuyasha's words and his answer, his claws dragging softly through his Mate's hair. "Madness is often performed in the name of love, I fear," The Demon growled huskily, pressing his cheek to his lover's head. "Were it you that had perished this day, I would have perhaps been committed to the same insanity…"

They said nothing for a while. Inuyasha stared thoughtfully about their room, the suddenly glistening, beautiful sunlight streaming over their bed to warm their sleeping family. Everything seemed to gleam, everything seem more stunning, everything down to their daughter's eyelashes. The world when watched through _free_ eyes, unburdened by fear was quiet, and perfect despite its flaws.

"It appears you were right," Sesshomaru said, breaking the silence. "We both nearly died for each other." His mouth quirked in a devious smile then. "I think I heard you say that you loved me?"

Inuyasha flushed darkly, trying to turn his face away but his chin was caught in those adoring claws and he was forced to meet the Demon Lord's eyes.

"You heard it, alright?" Inuyasha growled with fake menace, that made the Demon chuckle quietly.

A sudden knock at the door drew them from their reverie of adoration and as soon as they looked up, Rin and Kazuki stepped in through the door. Rin flew forwards, unrestrained (even by her arm in the sling) to gaze over their _siblings,_ while Kazuki beamed at them, slowly following behind, his bandaged chest and shoulder that had not yet healed impeding him slightly. "Nannami informed us we might be able to come and see how our family are fairing," Kazuki explained, sharing a knowing look with the two demon lords as their female ward preened over the new, beautiful babies.

"Of course," Sesshomaru said, turning his gaze back to Inuyasha even as he spoke to Kazuki. "Come." He beckoned them forwards, into the place where light streamed in through the windows, bathing their world in the sun's brilliance. The daydream of peace and security - of love reciprocated and comfort and solace, it had become a reality somehow in _spite_ of the prospect of distant, future troubles.

"I adore you, I indulge you, I desire and worship you, I can say any of those things, because they are the truth," Sesshomaru whispered in his ear, echoing his initial admission just for him as Kazuki and Rin cooed over the rousing pups. Inuyasha shuddered a little, resisting the urge to push back into the sweet heat that swept across his ear and turning to stare up at the Demon Lord.

"You love me," Inuyasha said.

"You love me," Sesshomaru repeated, as if this was the only appropriate answer. Inuyasha smirked wistfully.

"Of course," The Half-demon replied, in a perfect echo of his lover's voice. The Demon dipped down to capture his lips, mindless of their wards' presence and Inuyasha felt a gentle rumbling echo of _"of course"_ against his lips in answer.

_~To Be Continued..._

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A/N: Dont cry though, I know it seems like the conclusion but there is more to come **THIS IS NOT THE END.** One more chapter left ^_^ I will upload that in a week I think. It's so sad, just one more chapter til the end, and it's been what, nearly 4 years? Longer even. 0_0 Thankyou SO much everyone who has read, reviewed, just everyone you're so amazing and thankyou for sticking with me!

Shigure-san

x chuu x


	39. Pursuing the End

Author's Note:  
Oh my gosh, this is the end of an era, final chapter of this story, that I've been working on for four and a half years! It's been so amazing, I've written it through some dark periods of my life and a lot of you have been following me since the beginning - to all of you, those that have been reading from the start and those that have just dropped in, thank you so much for reading and enjoying my story, it means so much to me that you've gained something from this, this is my baby, and my most popular story to date. So here it ends with a whopping 898 pages! I'm getting quite emotional as I type this, but for the last time, read and review!

Please enjoy!

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Chapter Thirty-Nine  
_Pursuing the End_

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It had been five-hundred long years since last he'd trod the ground that now lay underfoot. He'd had that long – _so long_ to ponder this moment, what he would say, how he would say it, but time had slipped away from him somehow and now he was faced with it, he was as unprepared as if he had been here but yesterday. _Why is life always like that…?_ He wondered, 'life' meaning, _his_ life in particular. _Why is nothing ever simple?_ Takara, upon his departure, had said something akin to _"the best of life's treasures are the most complicated"_but that had not helped this situation any.

In considering this day he had been excited and just a little nervous but now he was facing it – _living_ it, he was nothing short of terrified. His fingers trembled as he tucked them into his palms. The clothes he wore itched a little as anxiety-incited sweat slicked the base of his neck. Decades of wearing this bothersome, _modern_attire still did not make him accustomed to it.

Though they had integrated enough to _survive_ they remained in a lavish estate far, far from the reach of civilisation – such distance allowed a kind of freedom that the demons of this era were not permitted otherwise. No, this way they could live untouched, undisturbed and simply visit the modern world when they wished. Their home was their retreat, their sanctuary and as-ever, their _palace_.

His head hung low, his ever-long, silver locks hanging into his eyes, though the main girth was drawn back into a thick braid down his back. His teeth caught his lip nervously as the sun streaked the dewy grass beneath his feet. He thought he had banished all feelings that would inhibit him, that would turn this day into something ugly, but he hadn't – and he was afraid.

"But this isn't about _that_," he assured himself aloud, straightening up and taking in a deep breath. "This is something that needs to be done, and it has nothing to do with anything like _that_." After a few more moments, he had just about convinced himself that this wasn't about the two of them, and even though he looked calm and steady on the outside, on the inside his head was storming with things that could have been. Things that made him consider old words of anger; of faded hurt…mostly things that made his heart ache…

Even though he thought he'd successfully rid himself of feelings of that kind years ago, he couldn't help but notice the sudden race to his heartbeat, as he trailed slowly towards the door of the Higurashi Household. He wasn't looking forward to this at all…or so he thought. _I wonder if she looks any different,_ he thought, without even really realising, _maybe she's taller, maybe her hair is different, maybe she's prettier – if that's possible_. He blushed suddenly as he realised what he'd just thought. Years with Sesshomaru had not made him in the _least_more comfortable with girls, they still unnerved him.

So many things had happened to him since he last saw her, three, very important things in particular. A soft, natural smile dusted his lips at the thought of his only daughter, how she had blossomed into the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, with a temper to rival his own and a mouth that could silence even Sesshomaru at times. It had been as he feared – the men, demon and human alike, had not been able to keep away from her, like moths to a flame. But she had turned each suitor away kindly, as if waiting for something and Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had nearly imploded when they finally (or more accurately _she finally_) discovered it…

And of course, as expected, his unruly sons had grown into the two most rowdy brats he had every imagined. For the first time he had understood the frustration he must have caused Sesshomaru at the beginning. They were, for all intensive purposes, exactly of their temperament. Tsubasa the unruly 'elder' sibling and Tsuyoshi the unbearable brat, determined to keep up.

The still identical pair had Sesshomaru and himself under their thumbs. They fought constantly like their parents had at the start, but it was a different, subtler kind of bickering that even made Inuyasha smirk a little to hear. Even Kazuki and Rin (who visited frequently with their own boisterous brood) would constantly remind them of the undeniable similarities. Yes, the people of his life in the last few hundred years were still close, close enough for it to really hit him just how much they had all changed with time – just like their surroundings.

Of course, then he realised – over five-hundred years for him and the others had been but a few months for her. He had left it until the freshness of the pain had dulled for her somewhat, had timed it so that he would not shock or hurt her by turning up right after she had lost him. His eyes stung a little at the thought of her distress, he still possessed the soft, heavy ache of losing her all those years ago…

He stopped as he found himself paused on the front porch. _Dare I chance the window?_ That had been his usual route, but then again, that was a long time ago, and what if she didn't even remember him? The Half-demon shook off the thought as quickly as possible; _she wouldn't have forgotten me that easily, would she?_

The Half-demon coughed, tapping on the door softly, (thinking better of the window route), he had decided that no matter how it hurt both of them in the process, it was better this way, in the long run. It didn't make it hurt any less, but it made him feel more ready to face it.

He nearly jumped out of his skin as the front door opened suddenly, and his golden eyes trailed over the lithe form of a woman in a tightly fitting dress suit. He blinked in confusion as wide, hazel orbs blinked up at him, no words exchanged for a long time.

"Kagome?" he asked quietly in disbelief; it was her. She looked almost the same. Her hair was longer, there was no mistaking that she was thinner, much thinner...and the usual school uniform had been replaced by some modern day dress that he now understood denoted her successful position in the working world, and found quite flattering to her. Kagome had frozen, staring wide-eyed at the half-demon, her pink lips parted in shock. It was as if her heart had stopped in her chest.

"Inu…Inuyasha?" He felt like he wanted to smile, like he wanted to hold her. All these years without her had made him go crazy for wanting to see her, to speak to her, even to smell her, but given how long they had been apart, he wasn't sure where his boundaries sat.

"What're you doing here?" she asked, her limbs, her _voice_ quivering in her state of awe, "_How_ are you even…?" But then her dark eyes scanned his clothes, the way his hair was pulled back and Inuyasha smirked as he saw the pieces falling into place in her head, turning on the spot so she could better look at him.  
"I'm not the same person you left – this is me, five-hundred years later," Her lips twitched with a nervous smile, the next bit would be the hardest…

"A lot…a lot happened after you left, and I can give you the brief version for now but… Kagome," He could not help but feel at ease saying her name, and inhaled her thoughtfully before daring speech again. "It'll be hard to accept, and I…I need you to remember what you said to me before you left."

Kagome tipped her head slightly, walking out of the house and pulling the door shut behind her, before dropping to sit on the doorstep, her eyes reaching far out across the ground to where the sacred tree sat. "I said that I wanted you to be happy – to live, to smile, all this time I have wondered…wondered if you had managed that…"

Following her line of sight to the tree they had shared so much under, Inuyasha braced himself for the conversation to follow, before taking a seat on the ground next to her. "I managed it, Kagome," He breathed, turning his head to give her an uneasy smile. "I…I was lost for a long time, and then… Sesshomaru rescued me, Kagome." Her head shot up so fast it made Inuyasha jump.

"S-Sesshomaru?" She asked, confusion tinting her voice. "But – that's brilliant! Inuyasha, I'm so glad! You finally reunited with your brother!" She threw her arms around him and Inuyasha, though he wanted nothing more to return the embrace, knew it would be wrong to indulge his desires when she hadn't understood what he had meant. Taking her upper arms carefully in his hands, he pulled her back slightly so that he could look at her.

"That's…I didn't reunite with him as brothers, Kagome I…" He growled under his breath, frustrated at his inability to make the words work and his half-hearted attempt to make her understand. "Circumstance changed things. Apparently, some half-demons are born with the ability to carry – like females do." He watched the reality dawn on her features.  
"You…you can give birth – to children, like a woman can?" She said, her eyes studying him carefully, struggling to understand. "And you're happy – so you have had them? Children?"

Inuyasha nodded, wishing he could smile, but he could see the human in her struggling to comprehend what he was saying, and what he _wasn't_saying.

"Yes… I had a daughter about a year after you'd left, and three years after that, two boys. They…" He turned his gaze to the ground below his feet, unable to look at her. "I didn't even want my daughter at first, I didn't want the situation I was in – a lot of it was just sprung on me. My _ability_, and my reintroduction to the demon society, where… Kagome, even _I_ struggled to accept it at first but in the demon world… Me and Sesshomaru…it's normal!" He didn't, _couldn'_t look at her, he could _hear_her shock, and so he rambled on, his desperation edging into his voice.

"I fought it for a long time, but in the end I… There were hardships, there always were – some worse than others, but..." He trailed off, losing his voice when he felt her move beside him. Daring not to raise his eyes, he stared, rigid with apprehension as she stood still for a moment, before walking forwards on shaky legs, along the path to the sacred tree.

Inuyasha watched her retreating back, leaving her a moment as her sorrow flared in his nostrils. The blossoms blew free of the tree's branches as the season's breeze took them, they wavered like feathers in the air, before showering her still form in their pink snow. The breath caught in Inuyasha's chest at the sight, one he had seen before and nostalgia pricked his chest, _hard_. She was still as beautiful and strong as he remembered…

Following his feet down to where she stood, the Half-demon paused but a moment behind her, wrapping his arms around her body. She was warm and leant back into him, the scent of her tears mingling with the smell of the salty rivulets that leaked from his own eyes. Whether it was from seeing her again, or knowing how the knowledge of what he had done must repulse her, he was not sure.

"I have never known what I wanted; I suppose…you know that better than anyone. At the start I hated him for seducing me, for _wanting_ me and making me want him when all I wanted was you." Yes, bitter, spiteful tears clung to his lashes and he blinked them away furiously, determined not to cry but failing miserably. "But feelings, _emotions_are probably the most misleading thing in the world, you feel so many things it's hard to find the line between what you really want and what you can't let go of…"

She turned in his arms then, her hair whirling in the breeze behind her with the movement, and her dark, rich eyes shining with emotion, emotion that Inuyasha felt strumming his heartstrings like a harp. A warm, aching smile graced her lips and Inuyasha couldn't find it in himself to let go of her. "It was hard to know if this really was the _present_you, and not the one I left, you know," Kagome said quietly, "You haven't aged a day but… I know now. You really have waited all this time...you're so...you've changed a lot – grown up."

Inuyasha smiled, his first, sincere smile since he had arrived at her door, because he knew what that light in her tear-stained eyes meant, and he drew her tightly to his chest. She tilted into his neck, fingers clinging to his shirt and breathing him in deeply, calming herself. "You are happy?" She asked, her words muffled by his intense hold and Inuyasha nodded into her hair, before releasing her reluctantly.

"I achieved so much, became so much stronger – Sesshomaru, he even sealed my demon! I don't have to worry about losing myself anymore." He studied her carefully as he spoke, reaching up to pluck a rogue pink petal from her glossy, obsidian locks. "I have to tell you all about it soon, about _everything_. Kouga and Ayame settled, and Old Kaede, she lived to a ripe old age! Sango and Miroku – they achieved so much, and I still see their great-great-great grandkids from time to time! Rin married my demon…well he was sort of my adopted son, so she's still alive and well. Shippo and Kilala are about, they drop in regularly, Shippo is a big help to forest preservation, you know."

Kagome laughed, the sound easy and light in the air. "Who'd have thought…? I'd like to see him some day, why do you think he hasn't visited me?" She asked thoughtfully.  
"He never knew where you lived," Inuyasha explained, "And I…I was waiting, waiting for the right time to come see you and I wanted…wanted to come see you first. I wanted to come right away to make sure you were alright, but Sesshomaru said that maybe–" His voice cut short as Kagome shook her head with a sad smile.  
"No, it was…better this way, I don't think I could've…could've been so…so _rational_ about it if you turned up and dumped me as soon as I had lost you," She was smiling still and there was sadness in it, a self-sacrifice she had _always_been so ready to make for him, and it hurt him to see. She had always given up everything so willingly so that he could pursue Kikyo without guilt, and now, she was forced to do it again.

"You have so much love in your heart," Inuyasha began, with a confidence his past self could have never managed. "I can't believe I missed it, all that time, but you…you shine, so much brighter than any star I've ever seen! You're dazzling, like a light in the dark and you…you saved me, time and time again, Kagome. You have…you have so much to offer someone, and you'll find someone, I _know _you will."

The girl – no the _woman_ he adored so, tipped her head with a hopeful nod, sniffing lightly and brushing the tears from her eyes bravely. She was so ready for him to be happy, so accepting of him, always. Who else could _ever_ accept that he was in love with, and, had had _children_with his own half-brother so easily? As equally as he had loved Kikyo, he was not sure she would have been able to grant him the same selfless, unconditional acceptance and companionship.

A long time passed and the chilly breeze snuck up on them suddenly, uniting them in a joint shiver. Inuyasha sighed, his claws reaching up to finger the beads around his neck nervously. Kagome's knowing eyes followed the movement, lingering on the collar. "I've hung onto these for five-hundred years. They were the only peace of you I had and it's taken all this time to be able to let go of…you–" He choked on his words, as ever, irritated with his inability to phrase what needed to be said properly. But then, an easy smile took his lips, and hers, in joint amusement at his inarticulate speech. "Five-hundred years and you'd think I'd have had this all planned out but now…there were so many things I had to say…"

"And you have many more years, many more visits to the Higurashi Shrine to say them," Kagome assured him, smiling tearfully as she reached forwards to take the bead-necklace in her tender hands, pressing a kiss to his cheek as she did so. A small tug, a soft pressure of the teeth in the back of his neck and the collar broke, shattered under her insistent hands. She had freed him from any lingering hold she would have had and Inuyasha stared, a strange hurt still throbbing in his chest as the nostalgia swelled.

They both stooped to the grass, picking up every single fallen bead in thoughtful silence, until each of them sat in a neat pile in Kagome's hands. She stared at them for a moment, before her lips parted with quivering speech. "How can I live without you?"

Inuyasha smiled, rubbing her arm reassuringly. "I'll be here, as your friend, always. I'd like it…I'd like it _a lot _if you would come see Tsukihime and the boys one day, they're so full of life, you'd love them."

Kagome nodded, forcing a smile from behind the tears. "Yes, I'd like that too. And I'm glad you're alive, and safe, Inuyasha."

He went to turn, but could not bring himself to leave it at that, even if he would see her again very soon, and often, from now on. "You'll be okay, Kagome. The point of life is sketchy at best. All we do is live so that one day we may achieve something, even if that goal is to just have a family, to have friends and give anything to help them through the test which life is, help them to make something of it. But just because life is hard and may not have a point clear enough for the human – or even _demon_eye to see doesn't mean we shouldn't live it."

Again, she nodded, allowing but a small pause this time before replying. "I have to ask," she began, a sincere smile on her sweet face that made Inuyasha's heart flutter a little with relief, "Seriously, you and Sesshomaru? And _kids_? How did you not kill each other?"

Inuyasha laughed. "Well, you'd be surprised, the prick is a lot of hard work. But then I guess I am too; we complete each other, in a weird way. Put it this way, life is never dull."  
She nodded, seemingly reassured by his happiness – and beaming. "And you're happy?"  
"I am. Can't live with him, can't live without him, guess that is especially relevant when you're with a half-sibling – someone who by definition you are _born_ to fight with." He laughed, gesturing his arms out dramatically. "Welcome to my fraternal romance." She chuckled, the tears dying in her delight at seeing him alive, and happy.

* * *

The picture in his hand was dark, ancient, and no longer even black-and-white but more of a faded sepia tone. But it was beautiful. As soon as photographic technology had been born, it had been taken. Inuyasha was standing there, smiling almost impertinently at the camera with Sesshomaru's arm on his shoulder. At around chest-height, a _teen-looking_ Tsukihime's stunning smile shone, her arms around her identical brothers, masking the act of keeping them still with a hug. They were all happy, and this was the first record of that, there were countless others, stunning portraits and paintings, but this was the first _real-life_evidence, and he often referred to it when he was troubled.

"Papa, you are making that indecent face."

Sesshomaru set the photograph down with a small sigh, turning his intense gaze upon his daughter. Her lengthy silver locks hang down her back in thick ringlets, her ears standing up defiantly as she brushed her bangs away from her face. She was tall and slender like Sesshomaru, but the determined look in her eyes was all Inuyasha.

"Inupapa will come back; you are surely not concerned that he would return to a _human female_ lover after you, are you?"  
Sesshomaru frowned. His daughter was teasing him, as she so loved to do.  
"Do not torment me, 'Hime, nor bother to try to distract me from the true reason you are here." His golden eyes narrowed, scanning down the willowy slope of her arm, to the place where her hand was joined with the man beside her. Sesshomaru made a small, intimidating noise in the back of his throat as he met those glaring crimson eyes. The suitor stiffened with undeniable fear and respect, but did not tremble, did not whimper nor cower and did not let go of his beloved daughter's chaste hand.

Tsukihime looked to her companion and smiled warmly. "Father – _Papa_, this is Hikaru."  
"I know very well who he is, Tsukihime, you think my only daughter would be allowed to frolic with a demon boy I have no knowledge of?"  
Tsukihime scowled this time, mimicking her father's expression perfectly. "We do not frolic, Hikaru is honourable – he has courted me _flawlessly_." It was then that she stopped, her posture drawing up into the perfect line only her father could duplicate. "And as you well know, he is half-demon, not _full_demon." She was her father's daughter. Right down to losing her heart to a half-demon. But she saw her father's distress and lost her forced countenance.

"Papa, _please_, you know Hikaru! You have known him since he was born; he is Rin and Kazu's _son_! Rin and Kazu are like my siblings, how can you deny how perfect for me he is? How can you deny me, when he has treated me with nothing but respect and _proper_ devotion? He is not one of those brutish, rogue suitors that thought they could win my heart as if it were some _prize_!"

Sesshomaru raised a brow at that, scanning his daughter's fiancée intently. He had met Hikaru before, this was not what this was about – Tsukihime was introducing him as her intended, with the _intent_for Sesshomaru to give his blessing.

Tsukihime confided a lot more in Inuyasha about such things, although they were both equally close to her, the maternal instinct brought their daughter to Inuyasha with such…_romantic_troubles. But his mate had warned him that this was coming, realising his, Sesshomaru's opposition to Tsukihime's joining this boy.

"My 'Hime," Sesshomaru began exhaustedly, folding his hands together and resting his forehead in frustration against them.  
"Papa," she interrupted, breaking away from her chosen's hand to approach the desk, staring down into her beloved father's eyes. "_Please_, he is my _soul-mate_! Separated for centuries in time and never together due to tragedy, until now – there will never be another creature who waits centuries to love me, Papa. Why would you not want that for me?"

"Because there is no way that that _soul_ can be good for you, 'Hime!" Sesshomaru interjected, leaping to his feet and slamming his fist upon the solid oak table, which trembled under impact. Tsukihime stood back, her chin high, unrelenting.  
"He is not Hikireimaru," she insisted, "Just as I am not Touya, just as Lady Kagome was not Kikyo! And no matter the chaos and agony, or wickedness, if two souls are meant to find each other, they will. Kagome did not hurt Inupapa the way Kikyo did, so why should Hikaru harm me the way you expected Hikireimaru to?"

Sesshomaru sneered, turning his head away and staring at the ground to the left of his desk – anywhere but her pleading, shining eyes, asking him for the one thing he believed would hurt her.

_"This isn't about Hikireimaru, is it?"_ Inuyasha had snapped at him once he had warned Sesshomaru of how serious this was becoming, and Sesshomaru had erupted into anger. Still Inuyasha had spoken over him. _"It ain't what we planned for her, but this isn't about what we wanted – heck I am sure our old man didn't plan for us what_ we _leapt into–"  
"This is not about us, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru cut across him.  
"No, that's right! She loves him, and he's a good kid, Sesshomaru, he loves her, whatever his past body, whatever_ Hikireimaru _did –_ Hikireimaru, _not him_, _it doesn't change that they are meant for each other. Even that bastard Hikireimaru loved her in his own way…"_

_"I will not have this!"_ Sesshomaru had exclaimed, despite the sense his mate had made.  
_"You're right, you will not have this – have her safe and indifferent to the world in the little palace you create. She needs to live and breathe and she finally loves something, someone besides us, she's finally a compassionate adult! You need to let her love this boy, and you need to let her get hurt by him, if need be, you cannot protect her forever and neither can I!"_

Sesshomaru shook his head, clearing it of the memory of that argument. Inuyasha had possessed first-hand experience with the chaos involving an old flame's soul in another's body, so perhaps it gave him better insight. Whatever the reason, Sesshomaru could simply not understand it as well and that frustrated him.

Glancing up, he saw that Tsukihime had returned to Hikaru's side, both of her arms wrapped around one of his. Along with the rest of Kazuki and Rin's children, he had watched this boy grow. He had the same thick black hair as Rin and the same crimson eyes Kazuki bore – he was the only one of their children to have both, and the sight of them had haunted Sesshomaru from the start. It was not the parentage he protested to (of course), nor even the boy himself, who was generally intelligent and successful.

It was the memory of whom that image had belonged to, down to the last _hair_, and not only that, but the memory of what that brute had done. Inuyasha and he had been so initially shocked by the resemblance one visit (when Hikaru had returned after going away to university) that they had no choice but to look into it, and of course, research concluded, Hikaru was the reincarnation of the demon that had so heartily sought Tsukihime before – Hikireimaru. Inuyasha, however had grown accustomed to it, had even said it was poetic in a way. _As if he knows of poetry,_Sesshomaru thought bitterly, willing the tension from his body.

"Come here, my 'Hime," Sesshomaru murmured softly, his anger dissipating. Tsukihime gave her fiancée a reassuring look, before releasing him reluctantly to circle the desk and stand before her father. She stood there a moment, as rigid as she had been as a child about to be dealt punishment, but then, she softened, sliding both of her hands around one of Sesshomaru's.

_How unfortunate Hikireimaru had been,_ Sesshomaru pondered as he gazed into his only daughter's eyes, so expressive despite her outer-hardness, so like Inuyasha. _That he did not realise when he travelled forward into this time to find her – did not realise that when he found his Touya (Tsukihime) in the arms of another, that_ other _was in fact his own reincarnation. He already had her in the future and did not realise…_

The simple fact displeased him, regardless of Inuyasha and Tsukihime's insistence that despite all, Hikireimaru had loved Touya, had sacrificed the world to find him, and that in the end, they were destined for each other. Honestly, the Demon Lord simply came to the conclusion that his mate, daughter and her intended – _all_of them who knew, were behaving far too rationally about this. Was he the only sane one left in this confounded era?

Eventually, and with a small sigh, Sesshomaru drew from his reverie, offering his daughter a nostalgic, treasuring smile. "I wish you happy, and if this boy can make you so, I suppose I cannot argue, especially with fate." He brushed the backs of his claws through the long tresses hanging over her shoulder and watched her face lift into a grin – she was already anticipating his answer. Resigned to the truth, resigned to what was meant to be, even though he could not understand it, Sesshomaru ended her wait.

"I give you my blessing, my 'Hime."

She squealed with a childish delight she hadn't expressed in so long, leaping up and wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing his cheek. "Papa! Papa _thank you_!" She offered him another loving kiss, always having been her father's princess and danced over into her lover's arms, before dragging him out the door, nearly knocking over Inuyasha on the way. "Hi, Inupapa!" She chimed as she and her confirmed fiancée disappeared down the hall and Inuyasha stepped through the doorway.

"Inupapa!"  
"No! I need him first–"  
"You think you need everything first…"

Inuyasha caught Sesshomaru's gaze and rolled his eyes as their rambunctious boys appeared in the doorway. They were both still so young compared to Tsukihime, although they too were adults, they lingered and fought like stropping teens – they had not yet found their way, but they would, and until then, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had come to find their squabbles quite endearing…

Their sons stood in the door, silver hair cut identically short with modern spikes, their demon crests on alternate cheeks, the only way most could tell them apart. "Not now, boys, I need to talk to your father–"  
"It won't take a minute!" Tsubasa declared over Inuyasha's voice. "Tsuyoshi seems to think that–"  
"Bullshit, it's _Tsubasa_ that thinks I–"  
"Language!" Sesshomaru cut across them, and both sets of dog-ears on the twins flattened to their skulls to drown out the scolding. "Tsubasa, Tsuyoshi – _out_, we will talk with you in a moment."

Reluctantly, their rowdy twosome departed, shutting the door noisily behind them. Sesshomaru emitted a low, exhausted growl and slid back into his chair, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. "They were so much more agreeable when they were toddlers at my feet," Sesshomaru sighed with disdain. Inuyasha laughed, crossing the room to slide onto the desk directly in front of Sesshomaru, kicking off his shoes and setting his feet either side of his mate's thighs on the office chair.

"No they weren't," Inuyasha smirked, "They were always a handful, and you love it now just as you did back then." He leant forward, dusting Sesshomaru's lips with the briefest, most teasing of kisses, before drawing back, leaving the Demon frustrated and wanting more.  
"Yes, they are definitely your children," Sesshomaru growled with a smile. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, leaning back on the desk to loosen his shirt collar and drag his fingers through his hair to unwind the braid. Silence fell between them, Sesshomaru watching him uneasily, until the moment those silver locks broke free and splashed down his mate's back…

Reaching forwards, he tugged Inuyasha's body onto his lap, running his fingers through the loose tresses before rubbing at the back of Inuyasha's neck, the way that made him close his eyes and let out a growling sigh of satisfaction. "Hmmm," Inuyasha all-but purred, pressing his head back into the touch. _Yes,_ Sesshomaru thought, _only I can make him feel like this, no matter what…_

"Shall I put you out of your misery and tell you how it went?" Inuyasha murmured, and when Sesshomaru looked up to his face he saw that the insolent Half-demon had raised a brow cockily at him. The imp had known what he was doing by frustrating him with silence!

Shifting in the Demon's embrace, Inuyasha leant back, those arms cradling his hips as he sat almost upright on Sesshomaru's lap. "Idiot, I've been with you for five hundred years, you think I'd _dump_ you?"  
Sesshomaru donned his best affronted façade, but his words were tinted with honest doubt.  
"Our pups are grown now, you have no responsibility. You could have returned to her with clear conscience, if that is what you had wished, I could not have stopped you…"

Inuyasha scratched the back of his neck in frustration, before allowing his fingers to slide over the mark his shirt collar had hidden during the day. Beneath him, Sesshomaru's marked hip arched into him, and as his shuddered Inuyasha descended to those lips.

"Actually, I couldn't," Inuyasha assured his mate, "Not only because I don't wish to, but also because I could never leave you with a clear conscience. There is nothing clear, nothing in me that is not full of you, and if me going to her and rekindling our friendship hurts your ego maybe you should _think_ – just think who I come home to and who I go to bed with every night. If I wanted to go back to her in _that _respect I'd have gone as soon as she arrived here after leaving me."

A long silence fell, in which Sesshomaru turned his head away, a little shamed by his jealousy – he never liked Inuyasha to have the higher ground. Inuyasha ran a claw down his cheek, tipping his gaze back to him. "You're an idiot," the Half-demon repeated.  
"And you are misguided," Sesshomaru spat, "I am your dominant partner, and despite your wishes to visit her in friendship, those wishes are fruitless without my agreement."  
"Oh, really?" Inuyasha asked, leaning back once more to put more distance between them, to allow Sesshomaru to see clearly that his bluff was being called. As ever, Sesshomaru was pulling out all the stops to change the subject and avoid embarrassment.

"We've been together as equals for too long for you to pull that _dominance_ shit with me, Big brother," Inuyasha stated plainly, "As you well know, we take _turns_ in this house."  
Sesshomaru considered him a moment, considered the confidence that had blossomed since they had first been thrown together. He, Sesshomaru had inspired that confidence, just as Inuyasha had inspired his love, had thawed his icy heart and filled it with summer's warmth. Inuyasha, _his_ Inuyasha, had burst into his grey life with colour and vibrancy, and his world had never been dull since.

A low, doting purr slid through the Demon Lord's lips and he reached up to mark his Half-demon's chin with his mouth, scenting him in that way that made Inuyasha tilt his head and squirm at the delicious possessiveness of it.

"I love you," Inuyasha gasped out, exposing his pale column of throat readily for Sesshomaru to drag his mouth and fangs along. "So there is no need to keep me from her, she's my closest friend – _you_ are my lover, and more than that."

The Demon Lord growled lustfully into his ear, pulling his mate tight against his body and jerking those lips to meet his own. Their tongues slid together eagerly, still passionate and insatiable even after all this time.

"I love you," Sesshomaru echoed, worshipping that mouth completely. "Maybe I will have to fill your belly, so that a new pup will occupy your free time that would otherwise be spent with her."  
Inuyasha laughed at Sesshomaru's playful tone. "As I understand, it is _you_ that steals my free time, and in any case," he purred, licking the soft shell of his mate's pointed ear deviously. "My belly's already full…"

_~The End_

* * *

A/N: This story has been about countless things, but for me, the main story is change. Hate can turn into love, love into hate, people change consistently, as do the people in our lives. People come and go through our own 'stories' we lose people we love, and no, we don't always get to see them again in the end, not like Kagome and Inuyasha or Tsukihime (Touya) and Hikireimaru, but that isn't the idea. It's the journey that matters. Every little thing that changes, every person that passes through our lives, for better or worse changes us, makes us who were are. This story was written by me for nearly 4 years, I wrote it during some of the most drastic, sometimes heart-breaking changes of my life and it really helped me to pour my soul into this, helped me to get through my hardships and I feel so sad now it, and my journey with you is ending.

But I hope that when you read this, even if you never read it again, that you can take away something similar to the comfort it has given me.

I thank you all, once again for being with me, whether you've been here from the start and reviewed or just turned up for the grand finale, I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read what is probably the story I am most intimately connected with. Please leave a review if you have time, even though this story is done, my email is so you can connect to me there or even add me on DeviantART as I hang out there alot (my name for DA is HyperLittleNori).

Either way, I will miss this story and of course you all, I can't believe this is the end, but I will never stop writing, I hope you can try out some of my other stories, even if you do not like the fandoms or whatever, just so we can stay in touch but if not, I hope to see you all on the next InuSess story I may write.

Thank you, Ta Ta For Now!  
Love and Best wishes!  
Shigure-san  
x chuu x


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